DC Youth and Young Adult Update 7-18-2025

By Julia Frohlich | July 18, 2025

News at NYEC:  

Legislative Branch:  

Executive Branch:  

  • U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Labor Implement Workforce Development Partnership: The U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Department of Labor (DOL) announced that the Department of Labor will take on a greater role in administering the adult education and family literacy programs (AEFL) funded under Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and career and technical education (CTE) programs funded by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V). This effort is aligned with an Executive Order released earlier this year encouraging the Departments to streamline the administration of federal workforce development programs. In this new partnership, DOL will oversee day-to-day functions of AEFL and CTE programs while ED will continue to maintain all statutory responsibilities and positions, policy authority, and oversight of these programs. ED and DOL will provide states with additional guidance in the coming weeks as these changes are implemented. More information can be found at this fact sheet. NYEC will keep you posted on new developments, and we invite you, as always, to share you thoughts and concerns with us.  

 

Federal Funding Opportunities with upcoming deadlines: 

  • HHS Grant: Relationships, Education, Advancement, and Development for Youth for Life (READY4Life): The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) announces its plan to solicit applications for the competitive award of grants that support healthy marriage and relationship education activities including parenting, and job and career advancement activities as authorized under Section 403(a)(2) of the Social Security Act. The Relationships, Education, Advancement, and Development for Youth for Life (READY4Life) grants will be targeted exclusively to projects designed to provide healthy marriage and relationship education skills, parenting (for young fathers and mothers as applicable), financial management, job and career advancement, and other activities, to youth that are high-school aged (grades 9-12) or in late adolescence and early adulthood (ages 14 to 24), including parenting and/or pregnant youth. Applications are due July 29, 2025. 

 

Previously Shared  

  • ED Grant: OSERS: OSEP: Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities and Demonstration and Training Programs–National Technical Assistance Center on Transition for Students and Youth with Disabilities: The purpose of the Technical Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities program is to promote academic achievement and to improve results for children with disabilities by providing TA, supporting model demonstration projects, disseminating useful information, and implementing activities that are supported by scientifically based research. The purpose of the Demonstration and Training program is to provide competitive grants, including cooperative agreements to, or enter into contracts with, eligible entities to expand and improve the provision of vocational rehabilitation (VR) and other services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act), or to further the purposes and policies in sections 2(b) and (c) of the Rehabilitation Act by supporting activities that increase the provision, extent, availability, scope, and quality of rehabilitation services under the Rehabilitation Act, including related research and evaluation activities. Applications are due July 18, 2025. 
  • HHS Grant: Basic Center Program: The primary purpose of BCP is to provide temporary, emergency shelter and counseling services to youth less than 18 years of age. We award community-based organizations funding to operate short-term shelters (including group home care and host family homes) and provide counseling services to youth who have run away or are experiencing homelessness or housing instability and who are not already receiving services from the child welfare or juvenile justice systems. Applications are due July 23, 2025. 
  • HHS Grant: FY2025 Transitional Living Program: The Transitional Living Program (TLP) provides street-based outreach, shelter and comprehensive supportive services to youth ages 16 through 21 for up to 18 months or, under extenuating circumstances, 21 months. In addition to shelter, TLPs provide comprehensive services that support participating youth’s transition to self-sufficiency and stable, independent living. Through the combination of shelter and services, TLP youth are expected to show improvements in four core outcome areas: safe and stable housing, education or employment, permanent connections, and social and emotional well-being. Applications are due July 23, 2025.  
  • HHS Grant: Maternity Group Home: The Maternity Group Home (MGH) program provides street-based outreach, safe, stable, and appropriate shelter, and comprehensive services for pregnant and/or parenting youth ages 16 to under 22 and their dependent child(ren) for 18 months and, and up to 21 months under extenuating circumstances. Service providers must accommodate the needs and safety of the dependent children to include facility safety standards for infants and children on the premises. MGH services include, but are not limited to, parenting skills, child development, family budgeting, and health and nutrition education, in addition to the required services provided under the Transitional Living Program to help MGH youth realize improvements in four core outcome areas. The MGH combination of shelter and services is designed to promote long-term, economic independence to ensure the well-being of the youth and their child(ren). Applications are due July 23, 2025. 
  • USDA Grant: Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI): Qualified private, nonprofit and public (including tribal) intermediary organizations proposing to carry out financial and technical assistance programs will be eligible to receive the funding. The RCDI structure requires the intermediary (grantee) to provide a program of financial and technical assistance to recipients to develop their capacity and ability to undertake projects related to housing, community facilities, or community and economic development. Applications are due August 7, 2025.  
  • HHS Grant: National Center on Head Start Early Learning, Health and Family Engagement: The Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start announces the availability of approximately $15,000,000 to be competitively awarded for the purpose of operating the Head Start National Center on Early Learning, Health, and Family Engagement. This NC will provide training and technical assistance that reflects current evidence, is research-informed, and promotes best practices. Applications are due December 15, 2025. 

 

From the States: 

  • Missouri: Scholar Smarts, a Kansas City nonprofit, is helping high school students learn trade careers in hopes of growing the workforce. A new session of the Youth Workforce Academy just started for 10 high school juniors and seniors. The program helps students decide their future through hands-on experience learning different trade careers such as electrical, ironwork, or painting. 
  • Illinois: Rockford and a local contractor are providing paid job training for at-risk and minority young adults that is boosting their incomes and getting two miles of city sidewalk paved each year. Launched in 2022 as a collaboration between the city and LT Construction, the “Destruction to Construction” program provides the young adults with paid, hands-on training while they work on community infrastructure projects. It goes beyond a summer job to be a model of career-first education, prioritizing skills training and work-based learning to help young adults build long-term prosperity. 

Resources:  

  • SchoolHouse Connection Federal Policy Tracker: SchoolHouse Connection works to overcome homelessness, from prenatal to postsecondary, through strategic advocacy and practical assistance in partnership with youth, families, schools, early childhood programs, institutions of higher education, and service providers. This page provides real-time updates, organized and archived by week.  
  • Big Thought Opportunity Youth Incubator: Big Thought’s Opportunity Youth Incubator initiative empowers Opportunity Youth—ages 16-24, disconnected from school and work—by equipping them with the skills, support, and opportunities needed to succeed in today’s workforce. 
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