Thank you for your support for young people. The campaign submitted our letter to the House Appropriations Committee on March 23, 2023.

We ask that you take a moment and sign on to our letter to the Senate using the button below by April 12, 2023. Please share!

April 13, 2023

Dear Chairs Murray and Baldwin and Vice Chairs Collins and Capito:

The Reconnecting Youth Campaign is a coalition of national, state, and local organizations that work to scale up effective federally funded programs that connect young people to education, employment, and training. We are writing to express the importance of robust increases in federal investments for programs that serve Opportunity Youth, or young people ages 16 to 24 who are disconnected from school and the workforce. These federal investments play an essential role in enabling young people to gain work experience, achieve economic self-sufficiency, and contribute to the economy.

Across the country, Opportunity Youth are in search of opportunities to lift themselves out of poverty and into career pathways. Several studies show that the majority of Opportunity Youth are eager to seek economic justice opportunities and take the reins for their own future. In seeking opportunities for themselves, they represent an untapped potential to their families, communities, and our nation’s economy.

In every Congressional district in the nation, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the number of young people who are disconnected from school and the workforce. A 2022 report from Measure of America estimates that there are now approximately 4.8 million Opportunity Youth in the United States. That is one in eight youth and young adults between the ages of 16 and 24.

We are grateful for the incremental increases Congress has provided for programs that serve Opportunity Youth and other young people in need in recent years, but the current levels are far from adequate. Community-based organizations around the country support Opportunity Youth to reconnect with school, access training, and actively serve in their communities. These providers ensure access to education, employability skills development, essential supports, training, community service, job and college placement, and follow-up once employed. Their approaches adapt depending on the young people they serve, and the needs of their community. The bad news: These programs are only resourced to be able to serve about 300,000 young people each year, less than 8 percent of the need.

The programs and services funded through these appropriations have a profound impact on young people’s well-being, reconnection, job training, education and skills attainment and overall productivity. We urge you to provide robust funding for programs that serve Opportunity Youth – at least a 20 percent overall increase in funding over fiscal year 2023 – as you consider appropriations for fiscal year 2024. Major increases in the following federally funded programs will strengthen the reach and impact of valuable organizations working within local communities to support Opportunity Youth and improve outcomes. It will be a step towards the scale our country needs. These programs include:

Department of Labor

WIOA Youth Activities

• An increase in these funds is necessary to address the skill, education, training, and employment needs of young people who are out of school and face barriers to employment. If increased above the authorized level, funding will provide services to an estimated 130,241 eligible in-school and out-of-school youth who face barriers to employment in 2024.
  • For fiscal year (FY) 2024, we urge an increase of $189,626,000 (20%) above the $948,130,000 enacted in FY 2023.

YouthBuild

• An increase in these funds will help to provide disadvantaged, low-income youth in a full-time program with an emphasis on education and hands-on job training, counseling, mentoring, and leadership development
  • For FY 2024, we urge a request of $193,000,000 or at least 20% ($21,000,000) above the amount enacted in FY 2023.

Reentry Employment Opportunities

• An increase in these funds will continue to provide funding towards community-based re-entry programs for justice-involved young adults who are currently or formerly incarcerated. These highly effective programs will continue to help more individuals overcome systemic barriers that formerly incarcerated young people face.
  • For FY 2024, we urge a requisition of $170,000,000.

Department of Justice 

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act – Title II and V

• An increase of federal funding for Title II will help to promote delinquency prevention and protect young people from the dangers of placement in adult jails and lockups; and address the racial and ethnic disparities faced by youth of color in the justice system. Furthermore, an increase in Title V will provide funding to delinquency prevention at the local level and help keep young people out of the juvenile justice system. 
  • For FY 2024, we urge a full implementation of the JJDPA with the appropriation of $350,000,000 for Titles II and V.  

Department of Education

Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants

• An Increase in these funds will provide more young people access to programs geared toward providing education and literacy services and basic skills they need to obtain a high school equivalency credentials. 
  • For FY 2024, we urge an increase of $143,091,000 (20%) above the $715,455,000 enacted in FY 2023.

McKinney Vento

• An increase in these funds will increase the access to a free public education for young people who are experiencing homelessness.
  • For FY 2024, we urge an increase of $24,400,000 (20%) above the $122,000,000 enacted in FY23.

AmeriCorps

• AmeriCorps State/National Grants and AmeriCorps VISTA
  • $668,512,800 an increase of $111,418,800 for AmeriCorps State/National Grants
  • $127,516,800 an increase of $21,252,800 for AmeriCorps VISTA

We appreciate your consideration of our request. Thank you for your leadership and attention to these important matters.

Sincerely,