New funding to expand sexual risk avoidance education

The Family and Youth Services Bureau within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Children, Youth and Families at the Administration for Children and Families, recently awarded $22.8 million to 29 organizations to help educate youth on strategies to avoid non-marital sexual activity and other risky behaviors.

Under the Title V Competitive Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) and General Departmental-SRAE programs, organizations will be able to provide educational services for youth that normalize the optimal health behavior of avoiding non-martial sexual activity and implement evidence-based approaches to teach youth the benefits associated with self-regulation, success sequencing for poverty prevention, healthy relationships, goal setting, and resisting sexual coercion, dating violence and other youth risk behaviors such as underage drinking or illicit drug use.

“The majority of youth are not sexually active, hitting the lowest level since this data was first collected in 1991. These healthy choices must be reinforced and expanded. This funding will empower youth to develop healthy life skills, to set goals that will lead to self-sufficiency and healthy decision making,” said Elizabeth Darling, Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families. “Linking youth to local, community-partnerships support youth in achieving their desired goals.”

The Title V Competitive SRAE program is designed to teach youth personal responsibility, self-regulation, goal setting, healthy decision-making, establishing future goals, and how to prevent the use of risky behaviors such as drug and alcohol use. Similarly, the General Departmental-SRAE funded projects will provide youth with strategies that are geared towards helping youth set goals that lead to self-sufficiency and marriage before engaging in sexual activity.

The Title V SRAE Program is authorized and funded by Section 510 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 710), as amended by Section 50502 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Pub. L. No. 115-123). GD-SRAE is authorized by section 1110 of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1310, and specifically by the appropriation for General Departmental Management for the Office of the Secretary under Division B, Title II of the Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019, Pub. L. No. 115-245.

The following organizations received the Title V Competitive Sexual Risk Avoidance Education grant:

• **Crisis Pregnancy Center of Yakima (WA) — $364,489
• **My Choices (WA) — $364,488
• **Nunakauyarmiut Tribe - Nunkyuak Traditional Council (AK) $122,620
• **Public Education Advocates for Christian Equity (HI) — $156,815
• **PRO Youth and Families (CA) — $449,482
• **The Community College Foundation (CA)— $450,000
• **University of Guam (Guam) — $75,991

The following organizations are recipients of the General Departmental Sexual Risk Avoidance Education grant:

• Aiming for Healthy Families, Inc. (MS) — $958,780
• Be Strong International, Inc. (FL) — $958,780
• Bethany Christian Service of Michigan (MI) — $958,780
• Curators of the University of Missouri on behalf of UMSL (MO) — $958,780
• Elizabeth's New Life Center, Inc. (OH) — $958,780
• **Heritage Community Services (SC) — $958,780
• **Life that Counts, Inc. (AL) — $958,116
• **Live the Life Ministries, Inc. (FL) — $958,780
• **Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (MN) — $945,229
• Mission West Virginia, Inc. (WV) — $958,780
• New Jersey Physicians Advisory Group, Inc. (NJ) — $958,780
• OIC of Broward County, Inc. (FL) — $958,780
• Operation Keepsake, Inc. (OH) — $958,686
• Prim N Proper, Inc./Choosing to Excel (AR) — $958,780
• Social Innovation Laboratory, Inc. (KS) — $760,745
• Teen HYPE Youth Development Program (MI) — $958,780
• The RIDGE Project, Inc. (OH) — $958,780
• Trinity Church, Inc. (FL) — $958,780
• ThriVe St. Louis, Inc. (MO) — $958,771
• **University of Arkansas System (AR) — 958,769
• **Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana, Inc. (LA) — $890,074
• Wholistic Stress Control Institute, Inc. (GA) — $952,488

**NOTE: These indicate first time Sexual Risk Avoidance awardees.

For additional information about the Title V Competitive Sexual Risk Avoidance Education and general departmental funded Sexual Risk Avoidance Education programs, please visit: /fysb/programs/adolescent-pregnancy-prevention.