Youth & Young Adult Policy Update 02-20-2026

By NYEC | February 20, 2026

News at NYEC:  

Legislative Branch:   

  • FY26 Appropriations Update: While Congress finalized most FY2026 appropriations earlier this month through a $1.2 trillion funding package enacted on February 3, lawmakers remain at an impasse over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). A short-term continuing resolution covering DHS expired on February 13 without a bipartisan agreement, and negotiations have since stalled amid disputes over immigration and border policy. As of February 20, Congress has not reached a path forward to complete full-year DHS funding.  

Executive Branch: 

Federal Funding Opportunities with upcoming deadlines: 

  • DOL Grant: YouthBuild 2025: DOL will award grants through a competitive process to eligible public or private non-profit organizations or Tribal entities to provide pre-apprenticeship occupational skills training, education, and job placement services to opportunity youth. YouthBuild prepares participants for quality jobs in various industry sectors, and includes wrap-around supportive services such as assistance in transportation, childcare, and housing. Applications are due March 2, 2026. 
  • OJJDP Grant: FY25 Second Chance Act Youth Reentry Program: This funding opportunity will provide funding to support states, units of local government, and federally recognized Native American Tribal governments in partnership with interested persons (including federal corrections and supervision agencies), service providers, and community-based organizations to provide (1) comprehensive reentry services for moderate- to high-risk youth before, during, and after release from confinement, and (2) support transitional services to assist youth to successfully reenter the community. Applications are due March 30, 2026. 
  • DOL Grant: Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants (Round 6): Round 6 of the Strengthening Community Colleges (SCC or SCC6) grants will fund community colleges, with a singular focus on building program and system capacity for implementing and scaling access to short-term training opportunities through Workforce Pell Grants—i.e., promoting industry-driven strategies, worker mobility, and integration with the larger state workforce system (e.g., Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) partners) for statewide impact. Applications are due May 20, 2026. 
  • DOL Grant: Pay-for-Performance Incentive Payments Program (PfP IPP): The Pay-for-Performance Incentive Payments Program will focus on incentivizing the expansion and growth of the National Apprenticeship System, specifically in industries with a firmly established program infrastructure that will make a significant contribution to the Administration’s goal of exceeding 1 million active apprentices. Applications are estimated to be due April 3, 2026. 

From the States: 

  • Delaware: The Delaware Department of Human Resources and Department of Labor will bring together state agencies and youth at a career fair designed to expand access to public service careers and workforce opportunities. The event invites students and the public to learn about apprenticeships, internships, and state employment options. 
  • Mississippi: First Place for Youth has partnered with Mississippi’s Department of Child Protection Services to help young people who age out of foster care transition into adulthood. 

Resources: 

  • Positive Youth Development in Workforce Programs: Child Trends explores how positive youth development approaches can strengthen workforce programs serving young adults. The publication outlines how building relationships, skills, and supportive environments can improve employment outcomes. 
  • What Employment Outcomes Data Teaches States: The article highlights how Postsecondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) data go beyond counting credentials to reveal how different programs and regions connect to employment and wages, showing variation in outcomes that might otherwise be overlooked. 
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