Columnist Sandy Thompson: National policy on youth makes sense

Sandy Thompson

Friday, March 29, 2002 | 5:16 a.m.

SHIFTS IN DOMESTIC policy agendas and funding priorities in the wake of Sept. 11 have placed national youth development issues on the back burner.

One policy proposal in particular -- the Younger Americans Act -- is not getting as much attention as it would otherwise, according to the Child Welfare League of America.

The bipartisan legislation introduced in 2001 would provide $5.75 billion over five years to support community-based opportunities for youths between the ages of 10 and 19. The emphasis would be on five key areas: ongoing relationships with a caring adult, safe places with structured activities, access to services that promote healthy lifestyles, opportunities to acquire marketable skills and opportunities for community service and civic participation.

Funding would be provided for mentoring, youth centers and clubs, camps and programs outside school hours, training or group counseling and other programs aimed at keeping youths on the right track. A key aspect of the proposal is requiring people age 21 and younger to be involved in the planning, implementation and evaluation of these programs. What better way to ensure success than to get the input of the people you're trying to reach.

The Younger Americans Act has been referred to the House Committee on Education and its Subcommittee on Education Reform. In view of the staggering priorities and expenses associated with the war on terrorism and homeland security, its passage is not assured, despite its influential co-sponsors. They include Sens. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass.; Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn.; and Reps. George Miller, D-Calif.; Benjamin Gilman, R-N.Y.; and Jack Quinn, R-N.Y.

Nevada's delegation is reviewing the wide-ranging legislation. A spokesman for Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., says he would want to ensure that states and communities whose programs are already working are given flexibility and that the act would not create another layer of bureaucracy in Washington.

Passage of the bill is one of the Child Welfare League's legislative priorities for 2002. The largest child advocacy group in the nation, the league works to ensure that children's voices "are heard in the White House and in the halls of Congress."

"There is no national policy focus of attention or push on positive youth development," says Tim Briceland-Betts, senior policy analyst for the Child Welfare League. "We think that's wrong."

The federal government cannot -- and should not -- take the place of families in providing what children need. But Briceland-Betts says the federal government can play a strong role in formulating a national policy focusing on youth by becoming a clearinghouse for information, targeting grants for programs and being a voice for youth.

"The Younger Americans Act embodies what makes sense," Briceland-Betts says. It shifts the emphasis from the negatives to positives. According to the Child Welfare League, existing federal initiatives "either attempt to fix problem behavior such as drug abuse, teenage pregnancy and delinquency, or are education-based." A better policy is to provide positive options before youths make harmful decisions.

The league notes that 8 million children under age 14 spend time without adult supervision on a regular basis, which increases their chances of engaging in risky behaviors.

It shouldn't take an act of Congress to tell us what children need. But as Briceland-Betts noted, this legislation does make sense. And, despite its hefty fiscal note, it rightly places the focus on the importance of providing for youth. Hopefully that message won't get lost amid the other pressing and serious issues facing the country and Congress.