Responsible Parenting/Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (APP) uses community service projects (CSPs) at its central design element to prevent and decrease the incidence of adolescent pregnancy while dealing more effectively with the consequences of adolescent pregnancy. Enacted into law by the NYS Legislature in 1984, this initiative includes: community-wide planning and coordination for prevention, focus on high-risk community, multi-agency networking, comprehensive service provision, and increased opportunities for self-sufficiency. Twenty-nine continuing projects are funded using Federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds throughout the State. Each community has a council that awards subcontracts through a CBO serving as the lead agency for the program. School districts may take advantage of APPS. Lead Agencies may be either community based organizations or local government agencies or affiliates.
Contact: Richard Nells – (518) 402-3181; an5630@dfa.state.ny.us

Advantage After School Program will offer children and youth a broad range of age-appropriate activities that integrate what happens in the school day with less formal experiences. After school programs will include a full range of activities such as arts, sports, academic enrichment, mentoring, and community service. A strategy for preventing school violence is also an integral part of Advantage programs. This program is competitive through RFP and will be located statewide. Only a CBO that has a school as partner is eligible to apply.
Contact: Carole Miller – (518) 473-4463; AY3690@dfa.state.ny.us

Aftercare Services provides post-residential counseling and a range of supervision levels for youth returning to the community. Communication is developed and maintained with families, school systems, and employers to monitor the youth's reintegration into the community. The program provides support services to natural and foster parents. It also recruits, trains, and licenses foster parents to service OCFS placed youth who do not have a viable family as a resource and support. OCFS funding pays OCFS staff who serve OCFS-placed youth. Aftercare offices located in large cities supervise rural areas. Services such as vocational training and mental health treatment are contracted out in the community.
Contact: Georgette Furey – (518) 474-1308; kk6059@dfa.state.ny.us

Early Childhood Services include child care/day care activities on a statewide basis. They also include licensing, registration, policy, program development, training and technical assistance through a central and regional office structure provided by the Bureau. An individual in need of a childcare subsidy should contact the local Department of Social Services. A worker looking for childcare should contact the local childcare referral agency. A person interested in becoming a licensed child care provider should contact the OCFS regional childcare office.
Contact: Suzanne Sennett – (518) 474-9454; aw1160@dfa.state.ny.us

Independent Living Skills programs are provided by the Division of Rehabilitative Services to over 2,500 youth each year at 50 sites, both residential and community based centers. The goal is to make components of the Independent Living Skills program available prescriptively to all young people throughout the Division. Also, the Division makes the program available to selected community agencies to serve youth at-risk and those returning from placement. Through selected curriculum modules and a wide range of supplementary resources, participants learn interactive life skills necessary for survival. These skills include how to get and keep a job, money and housing, home management, relationships, parenting, law-related education, community resources, cultural awareness, leisure, media literacy, and health and substance abuse prevention. Federal funds are allocated to the State with OCFS as conduit. Social service districts receive funds by formula. Only organizations that have youth in residential care/foster care participate.
Contact: Michael Holland – (518) 484-4746; michael.holland@dfa.state.ny.us

Runaway And Homeless Youth Program (RHYA) enables counties to serve two related populations of youth in troubled situations. Funds are administered through the county youth bureau. State funds provide up to 60% reimbursement.

RHYA Part I programs seek to address the shelter and counseling needs of young people in crisis under the age of 18. Programs provide shelter, food, health care and counseling support until the youth returns home or finds an alternative living arrangement. Non-residential and hotline services are also included.

RHYA Part II programs respond to particular problems faced by older homeless youth whose needs frequently extend beyond short-term crisis care. Part II programs allow counties approved for participation in RHYA to include transitional living support services for young people ages 16-21. This program strives to make young people who are dependent and vulnerable into self-sufficient, independent members of the community. State dollars are allocated to county youth bureaus. Not every youth bureau participates as there must be proven need and a runaway plan. The program is administered throughout the State.
Contact: Lori Keegan-Brady – (518) 473-8431; kk7362@dfa.state.ny.us

Special Delinquency Prevention Program (SDPP) targets youth with well-defined needs. It supports services aimed at keeping youth from becoming involved in the juvenile justice system or being chronically dependent on the human service system. Agencies funded must serve specific, targeted youth with an eligible program area, as outlined in NYCRR Title 9, Sub Part 165-2. Funding is administered both through county youth bureaus and directly by OCFS. The program provides up to 100% of the funding, and no match is required. A CBO or a school district may apply by RFP. SDPP is administered throughout the State.
Contact: Bob Dagostino – (518) 402-3739; 0149xx@dfa.state.ny.us

Youth Development Delinquency Prevention (YDDP) provides matching funds to municipal governments for recreation and youth service programs. It addresses the developmental needs of youth in all communities and offers each city, town, and village basic support for locally driven activities that develop essential social skills and attitudes. Funds are administered through the county youth bureau, and a 50% local match is required. Funds are distributed to counties on a per capita basis. There are over 3,000 programs throughout the State. An interested CBO or school district should contact its youth bureau.
Contact: Bob Dagostino – (518) 402-3739; 0149xx@dfa.state.ny.us

Youth Enterprise Program targets youth ages 15 to 20 that are in aftercare, at-risk of dropping out of school, or entering the juvenile justice system. The goal is to facilitate completion of high school and development of basic workplace skills through entrepreneurship training and work experience in a cooperative business. Activities are scheduled after school, weekends, and during school vacations.
Contact: Denise Lombardi – (518) 473-1813; 9994kk@dfa.state.ny.us