Unserved and Underserved Child and Youth Advocacy Program

The Unserved and Underserved Child and Youth Advocacy Program is administered by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services through its Victim Services Branch. This program is supported primarily by federal Victims of Crime Act funds, supplemented by state general funds, and is designed to strengthen services for children and youth under the age of eighteen who have experienced crime. The funding opportunity is released as a competitive solicitation and is governed by program-specific requirements that supersede prior solicitations where applicable. Applicants must submit proposals through the Grants Central System, and eligibility and compliance requirements are strictly enforced at the submission stage. The primary purpose of the program is to improve access to advocacy and support services for children and youth victims and survivors of crime who are currently unserved or underserved. The program emphasizes addressing gaps in services that arise due to barriers such as geographic isolation, cultural or linguistic differences, disability, or lack of familiarity with the justice system. Funded programs are expected to either maintain or enhance existing services by dedicating staff, expanding outreach, and ensuring culturally responsive service delivery. The initiative recognizes that many victims do not receive adequate emotional, physical, or financial support following victimization, and it aims to close those gaps through targeted interventions. Funding may be used to support a range of direct services, including crisis intervention, counseling and therapy, advocacy, and case management. Subrecipients are required to employ at least a half-time advocate dedicated to the target population and to implement trauma-informed and culturally sensitive practices. Programs must also provide structured services such as intake and assessment, family support, court advocacy, and school-based support. Additional requirements include outreach planning, staff training, and maintaining referral networks with community partners. Emergency assistance funding may be used to directly support victims’ immediate needs, subject to established procedures. The funding structure includes both federal and state components. Federal funds require a match equal to twenty percent of the total project cost, though applicants may request a waiver. State supplemental funds do not require matching contributions. Funding availability is contingent on state and federal appropriations, and awards may be reduced based on available resources. Selected applicants may be eligible for non-competitive continuation funding for up to four additional years, subject to performance and funding availability. Eligibility is limited to non-governmental organizations with at least two years of experience serving child and youth victims of crime. Applicants must maintain active registrations with federal and state systems, including a Unique Entity Identifier in the federal System for Award Management, and must not have any exclusions or compliance issues. Additional documentation requirements include proof of governing authority and certification of service history. Only one proposal per applicant is considered for funding, and proposals must achieve at least fifty percent of the available points during evaluation to be eligible. Applications are evaluated based on responses to programmatic rating questions submitted through the Grants Central System. Each response is scored on a scale ranging from absent to excellent, and final scores are averaged and ranked. Funding decisions consider these scores as well as geographic distribution priorities and past performance of applicants. Notifications are issued electronically, and applicants may receive an intent to fund, denial, or ineligibility notice. Successful applicants must complete additional steps to finalize the grant award before incurring costs. The program includes ongoing reporting and compliance requirements. Subrecipients must submit periodic progress reports and complete federal reporting through the Office for Victims of Crime performance management system. Training requirements include participation in state and compensation board training sessions. The performance period includes defined reporting intervals, and continued funding depends on compliance with reporting, fiscal management, and programmatic expectations. Overall, the program represents a structured effort to expand critical services for vulnerable youth populations through coordinated, evidence-based interventions.

Ensure narrative responses directly address rating criteria and clearly demonstrate program impact and alignment with goals