Federal Resources

Eligibility: Youth aged 16 to 22 who are unable to return to their homes
Focus: Life skills training

Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs that serve transition-age youth include the Transitional Living Program and the Maternity Group Homes Program.

The Transitional Living Program for Older Homeless Youth promotes the independence of youth between 16 and 22 years old who are unable to return to their homes. Grantees provide housing and a range of services, including life skills training, financial literacy instruction, and education and employment services. Youth might live in group homes or in their own apartments, depending on the program and each young person's independent living skills.

The Maternity Group Homes Program, part of the Transitional Living Program, supports homeless pregnant and/or parenting young people between the ages of 16 and 22, as well as their dependent children. Services are provided for up to 21 months.

 “America’s Youth: Transitions to Adulthood,” a report from the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), compares the current generation of youth in the United States to youth in 2000, 1990, and 1980.

Each year, AmeriCorps offers 75,000 opportunities for young people of all backgrounds to serve through a network of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups.

This archived webisode from KSOC-TV, as part of the Georgetown University Training Institutes 2014, explores emerging issues among young adults in transition (ages 18-25). Such issues include employment, housing, education, juvenile justice, and peer support. 

This informational booklet is targeted to workers ages 13 to 18 in non-farm industries. The booklet provides facts youth need to stay safe and healthy at work. The guide also informs young workers about the jobs they can and cannot do and about permissible work hours as defined under Federal child labor laws. The booklet also helps youth recognize common workplace hazards and teaches young people about their rights and responsibilities on non-farm jobs.

This resource for adults and youth provides employment, training, and financial assistance for laid-off workers. It includes resources for getting immediate help with unemployment insurance, healthcare, and other financial needs; job searching and resume tips; changing careers and understanding transferable skills; and upgrading skills through education and training. It also provides career information and links to work-related services that help veterans and military service members successfully transition to civilian careers.

The Children's Bureau (CB) is one of two bureaus within the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, of the Department of Health and Human Services. The Children's Bureau seeks to improve the safety, permanency and well-being of children through leadership, support for necessary services, and productive partnerships with states, tribes, and communities. It has the primary responsibility for administering federal programs that support state child welfare services.

College.gov is intended to be the go-to source for information and resources about planning, preparing and paying for postsecondary education.

AmeriCorps (formerly the Corporation for National and Community Service) brings people together to tackle the country’s most pressing challenges, through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps is the only federal agency tasked with elevating service and volunteerism in America. AmeriCorps provides opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to give their time and talent to strengthen communities across the country. By bringing people together to serve communities, AmeriCorps is making service to others an indispensable part of the American experience. AmeriCorps offers individuals and organizations flexible ways to make a local impact through several key programs: State and National, VISTA, NCCC, Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, RSVP, and Volunteer Generation Fund, along with initiatives including 9/11 and MLK Day of Service.

Provides an overview of programs funded by the Department of Labor focusing on youth. Offers a bi-weekly newsletter, announcements and potential funding opportunities, information for state and local partners, as well as information on the Federal Shared Youth Vision Partnership a collaborative effort serving the neediest youth.

The DoD STARBASE is an educational program sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. Students can participate in challenging "hands-on, mind-on" activities in aviation, science, technology, engineering, math, and space exploration. The program provides students with 20-25 hours of stimulating experiences at National Guard, Navy, Marine, Air Force Reserve and Air Force bases across the nation.

This site provides information and resources focused on the disproportionate number of minority youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system

The Employment and Training Administration site provides information about summer youth jobs, the Workforce Investment Act, and other employment and training programs related to youth .

The Federal Network for Young Worker Safety and Health strives to prevent occupational injuries among workers from ages 14 through 24.

The Federal TRIO Programs are educational opportunity outreach programs designed to motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. TRIO includes six outreach and support programs targeted to serve and assist low-income, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post-baccalaureate programs.

This tool from the CareerOneStop center provides opportunities for students to explore what their interests are, learn about potential careers, learn how to get job experience, and find educational opportunities to support career development.

This discretionary grant program is designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.

The Summer 2014 edition of SAMHSA News describes the difficulties that many young people with mental health challenges face once they “age out” and are no longer eligible for children’s mental health services. This edition also highlights SAMHSA’s Emerging Adults Initiative, which aims to address these challenges by helping young people with mental health issues transition into successful adulthood.

Job Corps is the nation's largest career technical training and education program for students ages 16 through 24.

This resource for adults and youth helps laid-off workers and other career changers find new occupations to explore. Users can identify occupations that require skills and knowledge similar to their current or previous job, learn more about these suggested matches, locate local training programs, and/or apply for jobs.

The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET) coordinates national resources, offers technical assistance, and disseminates information related to secondary education and transition for youth with disabilities in order to create opportunities for youth to achieve successful futures.

MyMoney.gov is the U.S. government's website dedicated to teaching all Americans the basics about financial education.

The Board on Children, Youth, and Families (BCYF) addresses a variety of policy-relevant issues related to the health and development of children, youth, and families. It does so by convening experts to weigh in on matters from the perspective of the behavioral, social, and health sciences.

The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) supports the national implementation of provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to provide successful school outcomes for students with disabilities. NDPC-SD supports states in assisting local education agencies to increase school completion rates and decrease dropout rates among students with disabilities.

The Challenge is an initiative designed to engage educators in the teaching of personal finance and to increase the financial knowledge and capability of high school aged youth so they can take control of their financial futures.