DC Youth and Young Adult Update 9-19-2025

News at NYEC: 

• Registration is Open for NYEC’s Annual Youth Days Event in Washington, D.C., from November 5-7, 2025! NYEC is inviting practitioners, community and organization leaders, and young people to join us to bring a voice for opportunity youth to Congress. Whether you are new to policy and advocacy or a skilled advocate, we will provide the tools and training so you can join us in calling for increased investments and new policies that will benefit young people across the nation. We hope to see you there!  

Legislative Branch:  

• Rep. Owens Holds Hearing on Reforming College Pricing for Students and Families: Higher Education and Workforce Development Chairman Burgess Owens (R-UT) hosted a hearing titled “No More Surprises: Reforming College Pricing for Students and Families” on September 16. The full hearing can be viewed here. 

• House Appropriations Committee Releases Continuing Resolution: The House Appropriations Committee released its Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026. A section-by-section breakdown can be found here, and the full bill text can be found here.  

• Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing on State of K-12 Education: The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing on the current state of K-12 education. The full hearing can be viewed here.  

• Murray and DeLauro Introduce Continuing Resolution: Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair, and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member, introduced a short-term continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government funded through October 31. A fact sheet on the funding bill is available here, a section-by-section summary of the CR is available here, and the full bill text can be found here.  

Executive Branch: 

• U.S. Department of Education Issues Guidance to States on Ed-Flex Option: A letter was sent by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education to all chief state school officers reminding them that they may apply for authority under the Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 (Ed-Flex Act). This is the sixth piece of guidance the Department has issued on expanding education choice under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). 

Federal Funding Opportunities with upcoming deadlines: 

• DOJ Grant: OJJDP FY25 Multistate Mentoring Programs: This NOFO will support mentoring organizations to enhance and expand mentoring services for children and youth who are at risk or high risk for delinquency, victimization, and juvenile justice system involvement. Applications are due October 21, 2025.  

• DOJ Grant: OJJDP FY25 Strategies To Support Children Exposed to Violence: This funding opportunity seeks to develop support services for children exposed to violence in their homes, schools, and communities; and to develop, enhance, and implement violent crime reduction strategies. Applications are due October 21, 2025.  

• DOJ Grant: OJJDP FY25 Mentoring for Youth Affected by Opioid and Other Substance Use: This NOFO will enhance and expand mentoring services for children and youth affected by opioids and other substance use, as well as their families. Applications are due October 23, 2025.  

• DOJ Grant: OJJDP FY25 Enhancing Juvenile Indigent Defense: This funding opportunity seeks to support local implementation of juvenile indigent defense practices and services that strengthen and improve the representation of youth involved in the juvenile justice system. Applications are due October 23, 2025.  

• DOJ Grant: BJA FY25 Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Program: This NOFO supports programs designed to prevent and reduce school violence by implementing training, developing school threat assessment teams and/or intervention teams to identify violence risks, introducing technologies like anonymous reporting tools, or applying other school safety strategies that assist in preventing violence. Applications are due October 27, 2025. 

• DOJ Grant: OJJDP FY25 National Mentoring Programs: This NOFO supports the implementation and delivery of mentoring services to youth that are at risk for juvenile delinquency, victimization, and juvenile justice system involvement. Applications are due October 27, 2025. 

• DOJ Grant: OJJDP FY25 Community and Schools Youth Drug Prevention Program: This NOFO supports the delivery of substance use prevention programs for youth in schools and extracurricular settings in coordination with local law enforcement and community coalitions. Applications are due October 27, 2025.  

• DOJ Grant: OJJDP FY25 Emergency Planning for Juvenile Justice Residential Facilities: This NOFO will support the development, implementation and improvement of emergency planning activities for state, Tribal, county, and local juvenile justice residential facilities. Applications are due October 27, 2025. 

• DOJ Grant: BJA FY25 Office of Justice Programs Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative: This funding opportunity supports law enforcement efforts to reduce violent crime and improve police-community relations through a range of cross-sector enforcement, prevention, and intervention strategies that leverage active collaboration with communities through sustained partnerships and engagement. Applications are due October 27, 2025.  

• DOJ Grant: OJJDP FY25 Reducing Recidivism for Female Juvenile Delinquents: This NOFO will support the development, enhancement, or expansion of intervention programs for female juvenile delinquents. Applications are due October 27, 2025. 

Previously Shared: 

• HHS Grant: Grants to Support New Investigators in Conducting Research Related to Preventing Interpersonal Violence Impacting Children and Youth: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) helps researchers develop skills in violence prevention research. Applications are due December 1, 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: 

• Minnesota: The Antea Group USA, an environmental and sustainability consulting firm, announced its corporate funding support for Roots for the Future. This initiative equips underrepresented youth with the education, skills, and connections needed to pursue careers in environmental fields. 
• North Carolina: The Governor’s Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships convened for the first time since issuing a late-June report that sets out 11 workforce development goals. Each goal is designed to strengthen links among jobseekers, learners, and employers statewide, with measurable targets slated for completion withing four years. 

 

Resources: 

• Report Strengthening-Service-to-Career-Pathways: This report by Jobs For the Future (JFF) and The Corps Network examine how service providers can strengthen the path from short-term service opportunities to long-term, well-paid careers. It details current training practices, employer partnerships, and credentialing efforts across Corps programs. 

• LEA Data Requirements on Young Children Experiencing Homelessness: This is a guide for local educational agency (LEA) homeless liaisons, data personnel, and others following the requirements of the McKinney-Vento Act with respect to data collection, reporting, and referrals.