Bill > H135

This bill establishes a new state-wide Office of Youth Development within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, specifically within the Department of Public Health, to address critical issues facing urban youth aged seven to eighteen who are experiencing negative social, economic, and health outcomes, such as involvement in the criminal justice system, violence, substance abuse, and dropping out of school. This office will organize and implement pilot programs in several cities, including Boston, Springfield, New Bedford, Fall Rivers, Lawrence, Lowell, Holyoke, and Worcester, to create a coordinated system of youth development services aimed at promoting good citizenship and providing practical skill-building opportunities outside of regular school hours, including weekends. These programs will be designed based on research, focusing on areas like social behavior, anti-violence, job opportunities, citizenship, and arts, with some components modeled after historical programs like the Work Project Administration (WPA) and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to offer hands-on learning beyond traditional schooling. The programs will be implemented through contracts with federally qualified Community Health Centers, ensuring that their staff reflect the participant population, and will include components for research, community coordination to avoid duplication, resource analysis, identifying needed services, developing youth worker certification, an enhanced management information system for referrals and resource sharing, court diversion, coordinating mini-grants, and collaborating with existing organizations. A dedicated Office of Youth Development Fund will be established to sustain these initiatives for at least five years, with Springfield designated as one of the first communities to host these programs.