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The demonstration of training materials nationwide for professional
and paraprofessional personnel in the fields of medicine, law,
education, social work, and other relevant fields who are engaged
in the prevention, identification and treatment of child abuse and
neglect. Approximately $1,000,000 will be expended for 10 projects,
each averaging about $100,000.

The funding of a survey to obtain data on the national incidence and severity of child abuse and neglect, which is estimated to cost up to $1,300,000 in FY 1977.

8 Demonstration projects providing a variety of direct services for the identification, treatment and referral of child abuse and neglect for populations with special obstacles to service delivery, i.e. military, Native American and isolated rural children and their families. These 8 projects will be funded at an average cost of $178,000 with total estimated cost of $1,425,000.

Technical assistance to public and nonprofit private agencies and organizations in the development of central registries, public awareness progwams, assistance to States to become eligible under P.L. 93-247 for State grants, and other activities to strengthen State and local child abuse and neglect services. An estimated amount of $1,600,000 will be obligated during FY 1977. This will provide an average of $145,000 per region and for the Native American and Migrant group.

Costs related to evaluation projects and dissemination of information is estimated at $1,062,000, including $950,000 for evaluation.

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Under the authority of the Runaway Youth Act (Title III of P.L. 93-415) the Office of Youth Development awards grants to provide temporary shelter and specialized services essential to meet the immediate emotional, psychological, physical, and social needs of youth who run away.

Programs funded are designed to create safe and secure environments conducive to addressing the crisis situations which precipitated the act of running away. The services provided attempt to reunite youth with their families by encouraging the resolution of intra-family problems through counseling and other services, and to help youth develop the ability to resolve their crisis situations and to decide upon a future course of action. All runaway houses are located in areas frequented by runaways or easily accessible to them. The projects operate apart from the law enforcement and juvenile justice systems. In addition to grants for shelter care, technical assistance is furnished to assist in the development and implementation of runaway facilities and services.

The Research and Development Program authorized by Section 426 of the Social Security Act will continue in FY 1977 at the same operating level as in FY 1976.

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In 1976, approximately 76 grants will be awarded to localities and non-profit agencies to establish or strengthen existing or proposed runaway houses, and to locally-controlled facilities providing temporary shelter care and counseling services to those runaway youth at the shelter facility. Technical assistance will be provided to runaway houses to enable them to develop linkages with appropriate youth serving agencies and organizations in the community. A statistical survey will be completed, as mandated in the Act, to define the major characteristics of the runaway youth population and to determine the areas of the Nation most affected.

The following table shows what the $5,000,000 and $7,000,000 funding levels will provide in FY 1976:

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FY 1977 funds for the Runaway Youth Program will seek to further enhance the capacity of local projects to meet the needs of runaway youth. It is projected that 76 grants will be continued from the previous fiscal year--based upon the continued demonstration of need for Federal support, having met the legislative requirements and standards and having demonstrated a satisfactory level of performance. It is estimated that these facilities will continue to serve approximately 48,000 youngsters annually.

Technical assistance will continue to be provided by OYD staff to enhance the capacity of local projects to provide effective services to runaway youth; to assist grantees in developing linkages with appropriate youth serving agencies and organizations in their local communities in order to provide the range of services required to effectively focus on the needs and problems of runaway youth and to ameliorate the problems which contribute to their running away; and, to allow for the mutual exchange of information between runaway service providers generated through program experience and evaluative activities through conferences, workshops, and related vehicles.

Evaluation funds will be used to assess the effectiveness of various service components and methodologies for use in formulating program models for wide dissemination.

In summary, the $5,000,000 requested for Runaway Youth projects will enable the Office of Youth Development to continue to fund approximately 76 Runaway facilities serving more than 48,000 young people annually. Of this total, $200,000 is requested for technical assistance and $150,000 for evaluation.

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The research and demonstration program of the Office of Youth Development in 1976 will be focused on the development and utilization of a data base that include a comprehensive analyses of selected youth needs and problems. Additional research and evaluation projects will analyze and evaluate various services to approximately 48,000 runaway youth, and examine critical components of youth development. Collectively these efforts will facilitate and improve the coordinated planning for youth, for the formulation of strategies that will impact on needs and problems identified, and for describing crucial information gaps relevant to youth development.

Objectives for FY 1977

In FY 1977 .he Office of Youth Development's Research and Demonstration Program will focus on three specific areas of knowledge development. These areas are discrete but will be interrelated through the utilization of the youth development theory. The specific areas include: (1) Secondary analyses of available data and key studies to identify emerging issues and problems, to determine knowledge gaps and new knowledge relative to youth necessary for establishing both short and long term priorities. The budget allocated to this purpose is $300,000.

(2) The second area of priority is the systematic development of knowledge essential for strengthening State and local services delivery to runaway youth and their families. This information will include aftercare for youth and their families for youth returning home, and alternative care for those unable to do so, as well as identifying and describing diverse normative models of runaway houses and their services. The amount budgeted for this priority is $575,000.

(3) The third area of focus is that of identifying and describing major youth programs supported by the private sector and initiating definition, analysis and description of effective methods for facilitating youth participation and identifying barriers to effective youth participation. Each of these areas of research are strategic to policy and program development at the Federal, State and local levels. The amount budgeted for this initial examination of a crucial area in youth development is $125,000.

70-159 - 76-46

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An appropriation of $192,575,000 is requested for FY 1977 for the purpose of conducting programs for the Aging under the Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended.

The FY 1977 Programs for the Aging continue to place emphasis on assisting State and Area Agencies to develop area comprehensive, coordinated services systems, tailored to the needs of the older persons in State-designated planning areas. They will aim to secure and maintain independence and dignity in a home environment for older persons capable of self-care with appropriate supportive services; and remove individual and social barriers to economic and personal independence for older persons. Particular emphasis will be placed on encouraging the development and provision of services needed by the low income and minority elderly; and the development of services which can prevent or delay institutionalization of the physically and mentally impaired elderly.

Overall budget policy will be to provide the necessary funds for maintaining the Nutrition Program at a $150,000,000 operating level, phase out forward funding for the Nutrition Program, phase out the Model Projects Programs and maintain the State Agency and Area Planning and Social Service program, along with the Research and Demonstration program and the Federal Council on Aging at a continuation level through FY 1977.

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Federal resources are available through formula grants to each State with an approved State Plan on Aging under Title III to pay up to 75 percent of the cost of the staffing and operating of its designated State Agency on Aging:

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to serve as State Focal points on Aging, providing leadership
towards identifying the needs and problems of older people in the
State, and mobilizing resources from other State local, public
and private agencies to resolve them;

1/ The Conference agreement provides a $187,500,000 program level. However, the
Department intends to request a rescission which will reduce the program to
$150,000,000 level.

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