The New York State Legislature passed the Youth Initiatives Act in 1978 to encourage and support high priority youth programs in counties that have approved comprehensive Youth Development/Delinquency Prevention – Youth Services Programs and which have reached their maximum funding eligibility.  Westchester County meets the prerequisites for this funding. Youth Initiatives funding is allocated to Westchester County for distribution to support the development of programs that address one or more of the initiatives outlined in the 1978 legislation.

Eligible applicants shall mean community based organizations that are incorporated as private, not-for-profit corporations or municipal service corporations. Youth Initiative Programs must serve high risk youth under 21 years of age or provide support to high risk families with children under 21 years of age.

To achieve the purpose of the Youth Initiatives Act, high priority programs are as follows:

• Community organization projects which assist in the development of advocacy and self-help programs.
• School-related prevention programs that address the following problem areas: truancy, suspension, dropouts, educational alternatives, vandalism and school violence. Projects designed to demonstrate positive results of partnership linkages between social agencies and schools will be given special consideration.
• Human sexuality, including programs which address teenage pregnancy and youth prostitution.
• Prevention of inappropriate placement of youth in residential or institutional settings.
• Programs related to early identification and assistance to troubled youth and their parents including projects directed toward child abuse, multi-problem families, training for parents, assistance to non-traditional families, and post institutional adjustment.
• Projects for limited English-speaking youth.
• Employment projects directed to assisting youth to obtain employment.