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For more than two decades, theFamily and Youth Services

Bureau (FYSB) has promoted the youth development approach to working with young people.Numerous other Federal agen-cies, foundations, and nationalorganizations now support the

youth development approachthrough their new initiatives,training and technical assistance

activities, and funding.

Youth development, in fact, isaccepted as a sound idea by many across the country today. Mostpolicymakers and practitionerssupport the notion of providingall young people access to serv-ices and opportunities. Few citi-zens would question the youthdevelopment axiom that all

young people need the time andattention of a caring adult. Eventhe idea of involving youth indecision-making and community leadership roles is catching on.

So why is youth development notflourishing everywhere? It doesnot appear to be a tough notionto sell. But it may be a difficultapproach to implement.

The youth development conceptoften is described as amorphousor cloudlike. The vision is pretty,but hard to grasp. There is noplace to call for the handbook that says, Just complete the fol-lowing 10 easy steps to imple-ment youth development in yourcommunity.

And so people struggle: youthservice professionals, policymak-ers, and funding sources. They know what they want to accom-plish; they just wish someone

would tell them how.

Unfortunately, there are no easy methods for converting the youthdevelopment concept from wordsto action. The conversion processis hard work and requires

conquering a set of personal chal-lenges that many professionalsand policymakers find difficult.These include forging real collab-orations, sharing the credit, com-mitting resources to a long-termgoal, and being willing to take apersonal net loss to achieve a netgain for youth.

These are tough new demands,especially for social service pro-fessionals who lived as the help-ing saints through the sixties andseventies, only to find themselvesregarded as incredibly out of touch with communities or

incompetent in the eighties andnineties. The reality is that many social scientists and policymakersunderestimated the complexity of problems facing individuals, fami-lies, and communities during theseventies. In fairness, most socialservice providers leapt to offerquick solutions to problemsbecause that is what most

Family and Youth Services Bureau

December 1998

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children and Families Administration on Children, Youth and FamiliesFamily and Youth Services Bureau

Translating Youth Development Into Action

Continued on page 2+



communities demanded. Few jurisdictions were able or willingto dedicate the long-termresources necessary to intervene

with families troubled by suchcomplex issues as violence, sub-stance abuse, poverty, or racism.

And that is the crux of thedilemma surrounding translating

youth development into practice. Youth development is a modelthat requires a substantial com-

mitment of time and resourcesthat is beyond the capacity of many communities for a variety of reasons:

Processes for developing socialpolicies that typically are predi-cated on political expediency and campaign rhetoric, particu-larly around crime and justiceissues

Competition for scarceresources that separates local

youth agencies and other social

service agencies that should be working together

The low value the publicassigns to the youth serviceprofession and the correspond-ing low salaries, along with theneed to hire and retain edu-cated, well-trained, and experi-enced staff

The public s desire for quick fixes, compounded by themedia s short attention span

and need for sensational head-lines, forcing practitioners andpolicymakers to quickly respond to community prob-lems by adopting the programdu jour

The result? An assortment of cate-gorical program models that shift

with the prevailing political orpublic sentiment about socialproblems. These programs comeand go, and sometimes comeagain, dependent more on the

availability of funding than oncommon sense or genuine need.

Most recently, the hype aboutevaluation and accountability hasbegotten a new bevy of problemsin social programming. Numer-ous evaluations have beenlaunched that do not truly assessprogram effectiveness nor helpagencies improve their opera-tions. These evaluations examineprocess and outcome, but often

fail to link the two. They apply logic to strategies for solvingproblems experienced by people

whose lives defy reason. They attempt to measure the effects of short-term services on youngpeople who were severely abusedor neglected as children, aban-doned in early adolescence, andforced to survive on the streets.

In the past, we simply have beenunrealistic in expecting youthagencies to create positive out-comes after providing a few months of services to youngpeople with such myriad prob-lems. Advocates have long arguedthat success comes in small dosesfor children whose lives havebeen torn apart by parental abuse

or neglect, sexual exploitation atthe hands of a trusted caregiver,or the experience of alcoholismor domestic violence in theirfamily home.

And what is success? A job,money in the bank, and

2 The Exchange December 1998


Tr anslatin g Youth Dev elopm ent Int o Acti on(Continued from page 1)

The Exchange is produced by Johnson, Bassin & Shaw, Inc., under acontract to manage the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth(NCFY). NCFY is the Family and Youth Services Bureau s (FYSB s) centralresource on youth and family issues. For more information, please call,

write, or E-mail:

National Clearinghouse on Families & YouthP.O. Box 13505

Silver Spring, MD 20911-3505Tel./TTY: (301) 608-8098

Fax: (301) 608-8721E-mail: [email protected]

www.ncfy.com



December 1998 The Exchange 3


movement off social welfare sys-tems? Or is it the less tangibleincreases in feelings of self-worth,belonging, or purpose? Thosehard-to-measure successes moreoften lead to the chance to sus-tain a life of accomplishment andhappiness.

These and other questions willneed to be answered before the

youth development model will work in many communities. The

questions will not be easy, andthe answers may cause some pro-fessionals to fear for their jobs ortheir funding. Some citizens may experience discomfort as thecommunity focus is shifted from

getting tough on crime to amore balanced approach of pre-

vention, early intervention, andaccountability.

Yet the youth development goal isimportant, if not easy to achieve:making life better for youngpeople in every community across the country. Youth devel-opment is about building a net-

work, genuinely linked and func-tioning, between schools, faithinstitutions, the business commu-nity, and community organiza-

tions for the purposes of protect-ing, educating, and caring for young people.

Moreover, youth developmentrequires an atmosphere of realcollaboration on behalf of youth,an uncompromising focus on what

youth need and deserve, and thestrong commitment of key leadersto doing whatever it takes to sup-port young people. In many com-munities, implementing a youthdevelopment approach requiresfundamental change.

Tackling the Challenge of Real ChangeChange: to cause to become dif-ferent, to alter or transform. Tochange something is to replace it

with something new or totally recast it in a new context. In thecase of the former, a youthagency might replace one pro-gram with another on the basis of available funding. While challeng-ing, that approach seldom has asignificant long-term effect.

In social service circles, that type

of change already is a way of life.Most social service providers fordecades have adapted quickly andeffectively to shifting fundingstreams and new programissuances. They have proved theircapacity to roll with the punchescaused by new Federal or Statelegislation, while keeping their eyeon the proverbial prize: support-ing young people, particularly those in difficult circumstances.

Such incremental change, how-ever, often does far more harmthan good. Programs for youngpeople come and go, and

agencies struggle to keep key services available. More impor-tant, no one is able to focus onthe big picture, the long-termoutcomes, the chance for funda-mental and lasting change.

Today, transformative change mustbe the course of action in youthand family services. That type of change can be brought about only by partnerships among experts in

youth services; education and

health professionals; youth andcommunity members, includingthe business and faith communi-ties; and elected officials. Throughthose partnerships, youth serviceagency administrators can beginto promote a discussion about thetype of change that must occur intheir community, and at the Stateand national levels, for the youthdevelopment approach to work.

Recasting beliefs, policies, orideas, however, is change thatmay be threatening or exhilarat-ing depending on one s circum-stances. People seldom have neu-tral or indifferent reactions toproposed change. Change createsexcitement among some, fear inothers.

Before launching a process forcreating new partnerships andbuilding a new system of services,supports, and opportunities for

youth, agency administrators,therefore, might consider and






then plan for the effects of suchchange on their own agency andstaff. They can help their staff cope with the challenge of change by undertaking the fol-lowing:

Exploring with their col-leagues, mentors, or boardmembers the effects of changeon individuals and organiza-tions.

Recognizing that individuals

react differently to change.Some people prefer to work inenvironments or on tasks thatare routine and require littlechange; others relish jugglingmultiple tasks and shifting pri-orities. Both styles need to beaccommodated during chang-ing times.

Developing strategies for help-ing staff to deal with negativeoutcomes and to leverage thepositive opportunities associ-ated with change.

Meeting regularly with staff during periods of change, con-tinually sharing information,and working diligently to keepthe lines of communicationopen.

Meeting individually with staff to discuss their personalconcerns, their willingness andability to adapt to change, andtheir desire (or not) for changeto occur around them.

Honestly answering staff ques-tions about the possible nega-tive consequences of change.These might include, Will Ilose my job? or, Will theagency close down?

Carefully selecting and bring-ing in an outside trainer whocan talk about how changeoccurs in the culture, how tocreate change, how to antici-pate change, and the fears

most people have aboutchange and how to deal withthem.

Facilitating regular staff discus-sions of how to make the mostof change.

Ensuring that, as much as pos-sible, change is planned andproductive.

Steps to Implementing a Youth Development ApproachCreating the kind of change nec-essary to implement the youthdevelopment approach requiresespecially thoughtful planning.Below is a list of steps youthagency administrators might taketo ensure careful deliberation of the youth development constructin their communities.

1. Review the literature onthe youth developmentapproach and adolescent devel-opment. Check the National

Clearinghouse on Families & Youth (NCFY) home page on theInternet s World Wide Web(<www.ncfy.com>) for publica-tions and organizations focusingon youth development.

2. Offer training in youthdevelopment to your staff andboard. Train your staff and boardabout the youth developmentconstruct, the adolescent lifestage, the developmental needs of

young people, and how abuse,neglect, and other traumas inter-rupt or distort the adolescentdevelopment process.

3 . Involve your board in strate-gizing about how to implementthe youth developmentapproach. Meet with the board todiscuss your interest in promot-ing a youth development

approach locally, your plans fordoing so, the staff time andagency resources that will beneeded, and the potential posi-tive or negative impact on theagency. Obtain their support tomove ahead.

4. Brainstorm about ways thatthe agency can better imple-ment and promote the youth

development approach. Hold astaff or staff/board retreat toexplore areas in which the agency currently is using the youth devel-opment approach (for example,involving youth in leadership






positions). Then strategize aboutthe following:

How can the agency expand its youth development activitiesinto an overall agency vision ormission?

What will the agency need toimplement a youth develop-ment approach, including fund-ing and community support?

What role can each staff orboard member play in helpingthe agency implement the

youth development approach?

What role should the agency play in helping the broadercommunity, city, county, orState implement a youth devel-opment approach to support-ing young people?

5. Create a plan for enhancing

the agency s youth develop-ment approach. Assign boardand staff member teams to over-see and assess plan components.Schedule a followup retreat in 6months to assess progress.

6. Involve staff in mappingcommunity resources for

young people. Recruit boardmembers, college students, orother volunteers to help in theprocess. Identify availableresources and their services,costs, and accessibility.

7. Assess the agency s rela-tionship with the youth-related

organizations identified. Meet with agency staff to discuss thepositive aspects of, and barriersto, relationships with the other

youth-serving agencies identifiedthrough the mapping process.Discuss existing referral systemsand organizational and staff rela-tionships, and areas in which theagency might enhance its relation-ships with other organizations.

8. Meet with local youth-serving agencies. Meet individu-ally with the directors of otherlocal youth-serving agencies todiscuss the youth developmentapproach and their interest in

working collaboratively to pro-mote that approach locally.Provide them with youth develop-

ment materials to review andshare with their staff. (NCFY andother national organizations havefree materials on this topic. Seethe NCFY home page for moreinformation.)

9. Create a mechanism forkeeping your staff and boardinformed. Report to the boardand staff about your meetings

with other youth and family agency administrators andplanned next steps. Develop asystem for keeping theminformed and for calling upon

their support, as needed,throughout the process.

10. Form a coalition of youthservice providers to explorehow to implement a youthdevelopment approach locally.Require participation by agency administrators who have theauthority to make decisions andcommit their organizationsresources to the coalition s activi-ties. Ask each administrator to

make a commitment to meet weekly for 6 months. Offer to serveas the secretariat for the coalitionthroughout the process or untilthe group establishes other meansfor managing coalition activities.The coalition s ability to move for-

ward will depend on a number of factors, including the following:

The degree to which participat-

ing agencies coalesce into astructured group with a com-mon purpose(s)

The coalition s ability to cometo consensus about what needsto be done to develop a com-prehensive, cost-effectiveapproach to supporting com-munity youth

The willingness of coalitionmember agencies to adapt tothe changes necessary under thegroup-developed youth serv-ice framework or agenda




u Making an effort to work with people with whom you previ-ously have had less-than-positive experiences.

u Helping other coalition members work together, especially if they have previously experienced difficulty doing so.

u Being willing to surrender power and to empower others tolead during different stages of coalition building.

u Doing your share of the less glamorous work associated withthe coalition s activities.

u Bringing issues or concerns to the entire group, and helpingto prevent the coalition from splintering into factions.

u Acknowledging that while there may be differences in thequality of services provided by coalition member agencies,all agency staff are involved because they care about youngpeople.

u Focusing on what is best for young people rather than yourcareer, your agency, or your personal feelings.

u Educating everyone you know about the needs, and poten-tial contributions, of adolescents, and encouraging them to

voice their concerns about policies that do not promotehealthy adolescent development for all young people.

u Doing what you can. You may not be able to launch a youthdevelopment commission next month. But you can writean editorial to the local newspaper promoting the youthdevelopment approach.

u Always remembering that the challenges you are facing arenot more difficult than the lives of many young people on

whose behalf you are working.



Coalition members percep-tions about the chances forovercoming identified barriersto implementing the youthdevelopment approach

The extent to which a sufficientnumber of coalition memberscommit their time andresources to the process

11. Explore the issuesinvolved in collaboration .Bring in an outside facilitator

(preferably one who knows youth services, local political real-ities, and the youth developmentapproach) to help the coalitionmembers decide if they are com-mitted to the youth developmentapproach. The facilitator then canhelp the coalition do the follow-ing:

Review the advantages of collaboration

Establish the rules of engage-ment or procedures for how the coalition will operate (forexample, procedures for com-ing to agreement)

Create a system for equitably sharing the workload

Identify barriers that preventedcollaboration in the past

Explore how to keep the grouptogether for a minimum of 6months

Transl ati n g Youth Devel opm ent Int o Acti on(Continued from page 5)

Leading Toward Collaboration

Think about all the personal issues that prevent real collaborationand decide how you will work to ensure that your personal diffi-

culties with collaboration do not impede the process. This mightinclude committing to the following:





Remember that it is perfectly acceptable for coalition mem-bers to use the first (or first sev-eral) meeting(s) to analyze (andcomplain about) failed collabo-rations, prior unsatisfactory

working relationships, or otherissues. People often need to

work through historical con-cerns before moving ahead withrenewed relationships or new plans. This process, however,must be balanced against theneed for the coalition to com-plete tasks and gain a sense of accomplishment.

12. Use the outside facilita-tor to help the coalition set aspecific goal for the next 6months. The goal might be, forexample, to launch a process forinvolving youth, community members, and elected officialsin creating a comprehensivestrategy for supporting andengaging young people.

Activities to get the groupstarted toward that goal mightinclude the following:

Analyzing existing services todetermine areas of duplica-tion, gaps in services by type

or location, and populationsnot served (for example, gay and lesbian youth or youngpeople with serious mentalhealth disorders). Be sure tofocus on services to youth andtheir families.

Identifying neighborhoods orcommunities that might needspecial supports because of circumstances such as poverty,the effects of racism, lack of economic opportunities, orthe influx of large new immi-grant or other special popula-tions.

Assessing community supportfor young people (or areas in

which such support might

need to be generated) andidentifying key community leaders who might back thecoalition s plans.

Discussing key community concerns about young people,delinquency, and crime. Thesemight be addressed through apublic information piecedrafted by the coalition before

it moves ahead with its agenda. Assessing existing community opportunities for youngpeople, including job training,employment, and involvementin leadership positions inlocal organizations.

Developing an initial framework of services and opportu-nities that young people needto make the transition fromadolescence to healthy, pro-ductive adulthood. Determine

which services and opportuni-ties currently are available and

which need to be developed.

13. At 2-month intervals,bring back the outside facili-tator to help the coalitionassess its progress. Have anhonest discussion to evaluate

whether the coalition is on track in accomplishing its objectivesand to determine whether key decision-making staff still areparticipating. Then set new goals and explore which activi-ties to undertake next.

14. Plan a strategy forimplementing a youth devel-opment framework . Beginexploring how the coalitionagencies (and others that mightnot have been able to partici-pate in this stage of the process)can work together to implementa framework of services andopportunities for youth. Thisstep may include the following:

Eliminating duplicativeservices and agreeing tocollaborate (not compete) onfuture fund-seeking activities.

Reconfiguring existing serv-ices, especially with regard toenhancing their quality andaccessibility and increasingthe role of young people intheir design and implementa-tion.

Identifying training opportuni-ties for agency managers andstaff that might be jointly held






and financially supported andthat would improve agency operations and staff skills in

working with youth.

Identifying service areas in which coalition members haveskills/expertise and areas in

which outside experts might bebrought in to help. Develop aplan for how the coalitionmight trade technical assis-tance with youth agencies inother communities, especially those that already havelaunched a youth developmentinitiative.

Designing a continuum of carefor young people from thebeginning of adolescencethrough adulthood and defin-ing the resources that are nec-essary to implement each piece

of the continuum. Be sure tolink that continuum to the serv-ice systems for younger chil-dren.

15. Create activities designedto meet the coalition s 6-month goal(s). Different mem-bers should take responsibility foreach activity. Responsibilitiesshould be divided on the basis of

agency size and fiscal and staff resources to avoid placing undueburdens on smaller agencies. Besure to include everyone in theprocess, however, and ensure thatsmaller agencies have an equal

voice in decision-making.

Establish timelines and a systemfor regularly reporting progress,both of which will help the coali-tion ensure that its goals are met.

16. Meet regularly to main-tain communication andstrengthen relationshipsamong coalition members.Through weekly meetings, coali-tion members can address the fol-lowing types of issues head-on:problems staying on schedule;new Federal, State, or local initia-tives or legislative activity that may affect the planning process; turf issues; and strategies for jointly competing for new funding.

17. Analyze the coalition sprogress at 6 months. At the 6-month mark, bring the originalfacilitator back to help the coali-tion analyze its efforts to date.

Review progress made, barriersstill in place, and the accomplish-ment (or not) of the 6-monthgoal(s). Assess the coalition sprocess for working together, andidentify strategies for improvingthat process.

18. Put the coalition s analy-sis, ideas, and proposals forthe future in writing. Engage

the volunteer services of a com-munications firm or good

writer/editor to polish the report.

19. Begin defining next stepsin the process. If the coalitionmembers have been able to work

well together, these next stepstypically will involve generatingthe input and support of othercommunity leaders for launchinga process to build a community

vision for young people.

20. Identify key groups in thecommunity whose support iscritical to implementing the

youth development approach.Develop an outreach plan to edu-cate leaders of these groupsabout the coalition and to solicittheir support. These mightinclude elected officials, the busi-ness and faith communities, andlaw enforcement and key localgovernment agency personnel.

Using information from the coali-tion s written report, produceconcise fact sheets about thecoalition for these targeted audi-

ences. The fact sheets shoulddescribe how the youth develop-ment approach addresses the spe-cial concerns or needs of eachtarget group. Elected officials, forexample, may be interested inlearning more about the long-term cost savings of preventionand early intervention. The busi-ness community may be inter-ested in how the youth develop-ment approach can help build astrong labor pool.

21. Select coalition membersto meet with representatives of the target groups. Early out-reach efforts should focus






particularly on those identified by the group as both influential andsupportive of prevention andearly intervention services to

young people. (This step may occur sooner if coalition membershave strong working relationships

with individual representatives of the groups and feel it is importantto begin informing them aboutcoalition efforts early in theprocess.) Provide a brief overview of the coalition s purpose and

goals, and then clearly state what you are hoping the targetedgroup will do, including the fol-lowing:

Supporting the coalition s activ-ities publicly and encouragingelected officials to do so.

Hosting a series of community forums facilitated by the coali-

tion to solicit input on theneeds and interests of youngpeople and their families.

Young people can participate inplanning and hosting theforums.

Eliciting the support of popularlocal figures (sports figures,news anchors, and others) andencouraging them to promote

the youth developmentapproach by mentioning it dur-ing each public engagement.

Providing resources for coali-tion planning activities,

including direct funding, meet-ing space, access to equipment,or staff support.

Appointing (if speaking withlocal elected officials), or sup-porting the appointment of, alocal commission on youthdevelopment to continue the

work of the coalition. Mem-bership might include severalcoalition members, representa-tives of the faith community,and key government agenciesaffecting youth and families,including mental health, health,and substance abuse services,and education, juvenile justice,and law enforcement systems.

22. Offer a written summary of the coalition s objectivesand activities to those youmeet with. Before leaving each

outreach meeting, provide thetarget group with a fact sheet onthe coalition that reiterates thegroup s objectives and specifiesthe form(s) of support it wouldlike to receive. Provide the nameof a key coalition contact and atime when that person will follow up with the target group.

23. Publicly recognize those

who support the coalition sgoals. Create ways to give creditpublicly to outside groups thatsupport the coalition s youthdevelopment agenda. If a local

business contributes to the print-ing of public education materials,for example, note that contribu-tion on the materials.

24. Follow up on outreachmeetings. Follow up with the tar-get group to discuss their reac-tion to the coalition s presenta-tion, interest in working with thecoalition, and possible next steps.

25. Implement the coalition splanned activities. Continue to

work as a coalition with the fre-quent support of the outsidefacilitator who can help the groupremain focused and continue toexplore which activities to under-take next. These might includethe following:

Assessing the primary agenda(s)of the community and then con-ducting focus groups to deter-

mine the issues and concernson that agenda that might bealleviated by the youth develop-ment approach. If a community relies on travel and tourism forits economic base, for example,coalition members could show how the youth developmentapproach might reduce delin-quency. If services to seniors are

lacking, the coalition mightshow how the community couldengage young people in provid-ing services to elders whilelearning a trade or gaining work experience.






Coordinating with other groups whose agendas are overlappingor whose work offers opportu-nities for young people tobecome involved. Coalitionmembers, for example, mightcollaborate with the providersof drug treatment services tourge elected officials to provideadequate funding for drugtreatment for adolescents. Orthey might coordinate with thelocal environmental groups toinvolve young people in envi-ronmental practices, such asrecycling.

Using the information collectedunder steps 6 and 12, beginplanning how the coalition canfill gaps in services. This may entail identifying which coali-tion member might best pro-

vide the services and develop-ing a plan for jointly seekingfunding for such services.

Setting minimum standards forall community services for

young people and creating aprocess to help facilitate otheragencies meeting those stan-dards.

Jointly seeking funding to sus-

tain coalition activities.

Discussing the current level of community support and whatremains to be done to generateenough support to begin to

move the community toward a youth development approach.

Implementing a public educa-tion campaign with positivemessages about young peopleand the role of the community in supporting youth. The cam-paign might include coalitionmembers engaging in publicspeaking activities, developingpublic education materials(including brochures, posters,

billboards, or radio or televisionpublic service announcements),and encouraging other commu-nity groups to distribute thosematerials.

Working with local university department heads to incorpo-rate youth development con-cepts into curriculums used totrain researchers, social work-

ers, counselors, and other youth-service-related profes-sionals.

Offering training for all area youth workers on adolescentdevelopment and the youthdevelopment approach.

Hosting a series of forums inlocal neighborhoods to learnmore about the needs of youngpeople and their families. Theinformation collected throughthe forums can be compiledinto a report to generate

further support from policy-makers.

Further defining what youthdevelopment will mean in yourcommunity. This may includeengaging a researcher to work collaboratively with coalitionmembers to identify measur-able outcomes for youth devel-opment activities.

Continuing to educate commu-nity members and policymakers

at all levels of governmentabout the benefits of the youthdevelopment approach.

26. Agree to stay engaged forthe long haul. Changing the way a community views or treats

young people is not a short-termgoal. Let people know up frontthat the coalition will be arounduntil necessary changes are made,and then continue to explorehow to keep the coalition aliveand functioning.

For more information on youthdevelopment, please write, call,or E-mail the NationalClearinghouse on Families &

Youth, P.O. Box 13505, SilverSpring, Maryland 20911-3505;(301) 608-8098;<[email protected]>. Or visit theNCFY home page on theInternet s World Wide Web:<www.ncfy.com>.

Tr ansl atin g Youth De velopm ent Int o Acti on(Continued from page 9)





Make the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth Work for You.

The following are just a few of the ways the National Clearinghouse on Families& Youth (NCFY) can assist you:

Conducting tailored research to meet the needs of your programor community

Linking you with others who face similar challenges or who havecreative ideas about improving youth practice and policy

Sending you a list of potential sources of funding for youth

services in your State

Call today to request a search of the NCFY database for more informationon adolescent development and the youth development approach.

National Clearinghouse on Families & YouthP.O. Box 13505

Silver Spring, MD 20911-3505

Tel./ TTY: (301) 608-8098Fax: (301) 608-8721E-mail: [email protected]

www.ncfy.com





National Clearinghouse on Families & YouthPost Office Box 13505Silver Spring, Maryland 20911-3505

The Exchange is developed for the Family and Youth Services Bureau by Johnson, Bassin & Shaw, Inc., under Contract #105-97-1734from the Administration on Children, Youth and Families; Administration for Children and Families; U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services, to manage the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth. Points of view or opinions expressed in The Exchangedo not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

health and human services: ex12-98

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