The Administration for Community Living (ACL) has opened a new funding opportunity on Alternatives to Guardianship Youth Resource Center.
Research shows the majority (57 percent) of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (ID/DD) ages 18 to 22 receiving publicly funded services have guardians.This Center will work to divert high school students with ID/DD away from guardianship to less restrictive decisional supports. The target audience for this information includes youth with ID/DD, parents and caregivers of high school students with ID/DD, special education teachers, education administrators, advocates, vocational rehabilitation counselors, guidance counselors, and school district officials.
ACL seeks to fund one five-year grant to create an Alternatives to Guardianship Youth Resource Center (totaling $1.5 million). As a result of funding this Center, expects that:
- More students with ID/DD will have more decisional options, such as Powers of Attorney, supported-decision-making (SDM), joint bank accounts, bill paying services, and medical or educational release forms, on completion of high school;
- Fewer young adults with ID/DD will be subject to guardianship;
- The public will become more knowledgeable of alternatives to guardianship; and
- Youth will become more independent by gaining job experience and personal responsibilities.
To achieve these outcomes, the grantee will develop partnerships, conduct background research on alternatives to guardianship, develop resources and conduct outreach, create a community of practice, conduct youth leadership development, evaluate the project, and establish sustainability of these activities.
View more details and application instructions.
Please visit the link above for more details about the grant opportunity and application process. This grant opportunity closes on June 29, 2020.