The newly established Office of Adolescent Health, under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released a funding opportunity announcement for a $75 million funding stream to support medically accurate, age appropriate, evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs.

 

– This $75 million funding stream (Tier 1) is part of a larger $114.5 million funding stream appropriated for Fiscal Year 2010 that provides for teen pregnancy prevention programs. The Office of Adolescent Health will soon be releasing an announcement for the other $25 million funding stream (Tier 2) for programs that utilize innovative strategies for preventing teen pregnancy. The remaining money will be available for “training and technical assistance, evaluation, outreach, and additional program support activities” (pg 5).

 

– Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, universities, hospitals, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, American Indian/Alaskan Native tribal governments or organizations, and state and local governments, including school districts and departments of education and health (pg 15-16).

 

– Projects should target individuals 19 years of age and under (at the time of initial enrollment in the program) and the announcement specifically includes pre-teens as a possible target population.

o   Applicants should clearly define target population by age group and “priority population” (homeless youth, immigrants, etc) within a “defined geographic area with high teen birth rates” (pg 9).

o   “All adolescents shall be eligible to participate in program services without regard to race, ethnicity or sexual identity” (pg 5).

 

– The grants provide for applicants to replicate programs from a list of teen pregnancy prevention or youth development programs with proven effectiveness, as determined by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

o   The 28 eligible programs (listed in Appendix A) include: Aban Aya Youth Project; Adult Identity Mentoring (Project AIM); All4You! Assisting in Rehabilitating Kids (ARK); Be Proud! Be Responsible!; Be Proud! Be Responsible! Be Protective!; Becoming a Responsible Teen (BART); Children’s Aid Society (CAS)—Carrera Program; Comprehensive Abstinence and Safer Sex Intervention; ¡Cuídate!; Draw the Line/Respect the Line; FOCUS; HIV Risk Reduction Among Detained Adolescents; Horizons; It’s Your Game: Keep it Real; Making a Difference!; Making Proud Choices!; Promoting Health Among Teens!; Project TALC; Reducing the Risk; Rikers Health Advocacy Program (RHAP); Safer Sex; Seattle Social Development Project; SiHLE; Sisters Saving Sisters; Teen Health Project; Teen Outreach Program; What Could You Do? (pg 38).

 

– Applicants who propose adapted versions of these programs or replicate programs not listed here are strongly advised to instead apply for the  innovative programs funding stream (Tier 2), or view instructions for adaptations on page six of the funding announcement.

 

– It is anticipated that this program will provide 150, five year cooperative agreements under four funding categories:

o   Range A: $400,000 to $600,000 per year

o   Range B: $600,000 to $1,000,000 per year

o   Range C: $1,000,000 to $1,500,000 per year

o   Range D: $1,500,000 to $4,000,000 per year (a maximum of 10 projects in this range will be chosen)

o   Projects funded in Ranges C and D are expected to be implemented in multiple sites within a targeted geographic area (e.g., school district, an urban area, or a county). Successful applicants for funding in Ranges C and D will be required to develop an independent grantee-level evaluation (pg 9).

 

 

 

 

SIECUS will be providing more information and resources as these become available. Please refer to the funding announcement for more details: