FY22 Federal Funding Decisions Signed Into Law
March 21, 2022
Potential Funding Sources/Partnering Opportunities for Mentoring Programs
MARCH 21, 2022 – This March, Congress approved and President Biden signed into law the appropriations bills to fund government agencies for fiscal year 2022. Below is a brief summary of each federal program that MENTOR’s Government Relations team has identified as a potential funding source or a partner opportunity for programs, and what amount they will be funded at this year. For more information on these programs, click on the links in the descriptions or reach out to the Government Relations team with questions.
Justice Programs
The OJJDP Youth Mentoring Grant Program: The only mentoring-specific line item in the federal budget, this program increases the capacity of state and local jurisdictions and tribal governments to incorporate evidence-based findings of best practices and principles. It also funds the National Mentoring Resource Center (NMRC), which provides free or low-cost technical assistance to programs across the country. This program received a $2 million increase, up to a new total of $102 million.
Children Exposed to Violence Initiative: These new funds, administered through OJJDP, will be awarded to programs to develop, maintain, or enhance programs designed to prevent future violence. Funds in this program can be used to train and coordinate for educational and after-school programs on strategies to safely and confidentially identify children and families experiencing violence and properly refer children exposed and their families to services and violence prevention programs. This initiative is funded at $8 million.
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) Title II: Funds in this formula grant program support innovative state efforts to adhere to standards that reduce the risk of harm to court-involved youth, ensure fair treatment of minority youth, improve the way systems address delinquent behavior, and ensure citizen involvement and expertise through State Advisory Groups. The program received a $3 million increase to a total of $70 million.
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) Title V, Local Delinquency Prevention Program: This discretionary grant program (“PROMISE Grants”) supports programs designed to prevent delinquency and address the unmet needs of youth facing risk at the local level through data-driven, evidence-based programs. It received a $500,000 increase to a total of $49.5 million.
Labor/Workforce Programs
The WIOA Title I Youth Activities Program: this is a formula-funded state grant that helps out-of-school youth and low-income in-school youth with barriers to employment by providing them with services that prepare them for employment and postsecondary education. The program received an overall increase of $12 million, up to a total of $933 million for FY22.
YouthBuild: This discretionary grant program helps provide disconnected youth with work readiness and industry-driven credential attainment opportunities. YouthBuild also provides significant support services, such as mentoring. The program received a $2 million increase to a total of $99 million. Report language that accompanied the legislation also encouraged the Department of Labor to serve more geographically diverse areas through this program, including rural areas through this program.
Reentry Employment Opportunities: This program provides current or formerly incarcerated adults and youth involved in the justice system with occupational skills training leading to industry-recognized credentials and apprenticeships for employment in industries and occupations that offer competitive wages and opportunities for advancement. It also provides pre-release and comprehensive post-release services, including mentoring. This program received a $4 million increase to a total of $102 million. In addition, $25 million of this funding is required to be awarded to intermediary organizations for activities that prepare for employment young adults with criminal legal histories, young adults who have been justice system-involved, or young adults who have dropped out of school or other educational programs, with a priority for projects serving high-crime, high-poverty areas.
Career Pathways for Youth Grants: within the Dislocated Worker National Reserve program, there is an increase of $5 million, for a total of $15 million, for grants to support national out-of-school time organizations that serve youth and teens and place an emphasis on age-appropriate workforce readiness programming to expand job training and workforce pathways for youth and disconnected youth.
Education Programs
Full-Service Community Schools: This program provides grants to local educational agencies (LEAs), in partnership with community-based/nonprofit organizations, to make available comprehensive academic, social, and health services for students, their family members, and community members in school settings through service integration and coordinated strategies for target youth and their families experiencing poverty. Grantees must secure matching funds. This program received the largest increase in the entire education budget, more than doubling its appropriation from the previous fiscal year, to $75 million.
Title IV-A/Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants: Grants from this flexible block grant program authorize activities in three broad areas: providing students with a well-rounded education; supporting safe and healthy students; and supporting the effective use of technology (mentoring falls within of these buckets). The program received a $60 million increase, to a total of 1.28 billion.
21st Century Community Learning Centers: This program enables communities to establish or expand centers that provide additional student learning opportunities through before- and after-school programs and summer school programs aimed at improving student academic outcomes. It received a $30 million increase and now has a total budget of $1.29 billion.
Health and Human Services
Project AWARE: This Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) program uses funds to build the capacity of State Educational Agencies, in partnership with State Mental Health Agencies overseeing school-aged youth and LEAs, and in collaboration with community-based organizations, with the purpose of increasing awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youth and providing training for school personnel and other adults who interact with youth to respond to mental health issues. Project AWARE received $120 million. Of the amount provided, the agreement directs $12.5 million for grants to support efforts in high-crime, high-poverty areas and, in particular, communities that are seeking to address relevant impacts and root causes of civil unrest, community violence, and collective trauma. The agreement recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for school and community-based trauma services for children and their families. As such, the agreement provides $7 million to increase student access to evidence-based, culturally relevant, trauma support services and mental health care through established partnerships with community organizations.
Community and Youth Violence Prevention: Within the CDC’s $714 million appropriated for Injury Prevention and Control, $15.1 million is for youth violence prevention.
Interagency Task Force on Trauma-Informed Care: Led by SAMHSA, with the Department of Health and Human Services. Funded at $1 million.
CNCS/AmeriCorps
CNCS/AmeriCorps: This is the federal agency for national service and volunteering, which houses a number of programs, including VISTAs. The agency overall received an increase of $29.5 million from FY21, up to a total of $1.151 billion.
Volunteer Generation Fund: Within CNCS/AmeriCorps, this fund supports State Service Commissions in helping nonprofit and voluntary organizations across the country more effectively recruit and retain volunteers and increase their impact on addressing community challenges. The program received a $160,000 increase from FY21, up to a total of $6.56 million.