DC Youth and Young Adult Update 04-25-2025

By NYEC | April 25, 2025

News at NYEC:  

  • Join the National Youth Employment Coalition’s 2025 Annual Forum- Empowering Youth, Transforming Communities, in Minneapolis, MN, from May 12-14, 2025! This event will gather practitioners, youth advocates, and community leaders to explore key topics like youth leadership, holistic supports, living wage employment, and policy & advocacy.  
  • Fill out a 6-month Federal Advocacy Calendar! Interested in being more engaged in federal advocacy? The hyperlinked title will direct you to a JotForm that lists concrete steps that you can take in the first 6 months of the year to build a relationship with your Members of Congress! NYEC will make it easy to complete each goal of every month by sharing support, reminders, and more!  

Legislative Branch:  

  • 119th Congressional Committee Updates: 
  • Senators Sanders, Jayapal, Dingell to Introduce Medicare for All: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), alongside Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), announced today that they will hold a press conference on Tuesday with nurses, health care providers, and workers from around the nation to introduce the Medicare for All Act. 

Executive Branch:  

  • Labor Department Sidelines Staffers Amid DOGE Push for Immigrant Data: On Wednesday, April 16, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) placed hundreds of employees on paid administrative leave as part of a broader restructuring effort that has sparked concerns across multiple agencies. The move includes staff from the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), and several other offices amid ongoing changes under the Trump Administration. At OFCCP, the shift follows the revocation of a longstanding executive order (EO) that had supported much of the office’s authority. The change significantly narrowed OFCCP’s mission, now focused primarily on enforcing anti-discrimination laws related to veterans and individuals with disabilities in federal contracting. According to agency leadership, the restructuring aligns the office with its current statutory responsibilities, reduces operational costs, and eliminates practices they consider discriminatory under diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Simultaneously, ETA has seen career staff placed on leave following disputes with members of the Domestic Operations and Government Enforcement (DOGE) team. 
  • AmeriCorps Staff Members Placed on Leave After DOGE Cuts: Last week, all AmeriCorps NCCC and FEMA Corps members were sent home. As of yesterday, some 85% of AmeriCorps’ federal employees have been put on paid administrative leave. AmeriCorps is now operating with only about 100 employees, which may severely impact the agency’s ability to function. The Corps Network released information and guidance for contacting Congress about the cuts, which can be found here. 
  • President Trump Releases Executive Order Titled “Preparing Americans for High-paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future”: The Executive Order is premised on the Trump Administration’s wider efforts to reshore manufacturing in the United States and calls for the development of a “comprehensive workforce strategy” that would seek to realign workforce and education programs under the purview of the Departments of Education, Labor, and Commerce within the next 90 days. Specifically, the EO directs these Departments to, among other things, identify: “Federal workforce development and education programs, or related spending within these programs, that are ineffective or otherwise fail to achieve their desired outcomes.  Each identified program should be accompanied by a proposal to reform the program, redirect its funding, or eliminate it.” This language signals a potential future restructuring of many existing federal workforce programs. 

Federal Funding Opportunities with upcoming deadlines: 

No new federal funding opportunities 

Previously Shared  

From The States 

  • Minnesota: Minnesota’s Office of the Foster Youth Ombudsperson, established less than a year ago, has drafted a Foster Youth Bill of Rights. Developed with input from former foster youth, this proposed legislation seeks to legally define over 150 rights, including both existing protections and new ones. Key areas covered range from physical safety and privacy to healthcare autonomy and maintaining family connections. Advocates say the goal is to empower the state’s approximately 6,200 foster youth by ensuring they clearly understand the rights and protections they are entitled to. 
  • North Carolina: Western Youth Network (WYN) has launched the public phase of its $11.5 million “Building Brighter Futures” campaign. This significant effort aims to expand WYN’s facilities and programs to better serve the growing number of youths needing support in North Carolina’s High Country. With demand for its services—including mentorship, after-school programs, and mental health support—reaching record levels after 40 years, this campaign will provide the essential space and resources to ensure every child has a safe place to learn, grow, and thrive. 

For The Youth: 

  • Youth Guide for Entrepreneurs: Youth entrepreneurship, the process of young people starting and running their own businesses, is a vital engine for economic growth, job creation, and innovation. Furthermore, it equips young entrepreneurs with crucial skills like leadership and problem-solving. This article explores the significance and benefits of youth entrepreneurship, along with strategies to support it effectively. 
  • Empowering Youth Entrepreneurship: See how youth entrepreneurship is changing our economy and learn what makes young entrepreneurs thrive. This straightforward guide reveals the core strategies propelling young business leaders to success, examines their significant impact, and provides actionable steps for you to follow suit. 
  • Calling All Young People Who Want to Get Their Foot in the Door on Capitol Hill!: The ReNew Democracy Foundation fellowship application is NOW LIVE! The fellowship opens doors for a diversity of new voices from across the country who want to make a difference in pragmatic, solutions-oriented, center-left congressional offices and supports these emerging leaders with a $5,500 monthly salary, professional development opportunities, mentorship, and networking. Apply here! 

Resources 

  • Federal Policy Update on Child and Youth Homelessness (Webinar): Critical support systems are under threat. Congress is considering budget actions that could slash safety net programs, revoke already approved FY2025 funds and negatively impact FY2026 funding. Alongside these budget concerns, new federal policies are also affecting early childhood, education, housing, and youth services. Join SchoolHouse Connection’s webinar to understand how these changes could harm children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness, and learn practical ways to advocate, such as contacting your legislators or sharing personal stories. 
  • National Network 4 Youth’s Take Action Toolkit: As the nation’s leading network of young leaders and youth homelessness providers, the National Network for Youth (NN4Y) envisions a world where every young person has a safe home and pathways to success. They work with partners, providers, and youth with lived expertise to transform systems through youth-centered strategies, policy advocacy, and community support. To help you advocate for preventing and ending youth homelessness, NN4Y offers a Messaging Guide with customizable graphics, versatile text blurbs, and sample social media posts. Visit www.nn4youth.org to learn more and access the guide. To partner with us in promoting these crucial strategies, please contact [email protected].  
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