U.S. Department of Justice: Specialized Services and Mentoring for Child and Youth Victims of Sex Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation

The Specialized Services and Mentoring for Child and Youth Victims of Sex Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation program will fund projects designed to enhance the capacity of applicant organizations to respond to the needs of children and youth who are victims of sexual exploitation (SE)/domestic sex trafficking (DST) as well as labor trafficking.

There are three categories of funding available under this solicitation.

• Category 1: Specialized Services and Mentoring for Child and Youth Victims of Sex Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation. This category supports the efforts of eligible applicant organizations to increase the availability of direct support services for children and youth who are victims of SE/DST, develop or enhance their mentoring capacity, and facilitate outreach efforts to identify these youth. For the purposes of this solicitation, children and youth is defined as anyone younger than age 18. Successful applicants will provide mentoring and other needed support services to these youth, develop or enhance mentoring service models and mentor training based on best practices to focus on the needs of youth who are at risk for or are victims of SE/DST, and develop or update strategies to recruit and maintain mentors to serve these youth. Any application submitted for Category 1 must allow services for both girls and boys.
• Category 2: Enhanced Service Delivery for Boys Who Are Victims of Sex and Labor Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation. This category supports the efforts of eligible applicant organizations to ensure that the specialized services and mentoring are responsive to the needs of male victims of child sex trafficking and sexual exploitation, and labor trafficking. Successful applicants will provide direct support services (including mentoring) based on best practices for boys who are victims of sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation (CSE).
• Category 3: Preventing Sex Trafficking of Girls and Involvement in the Juvenile Justice System. This category supports the efforts of eligible applicant organizations to increase the availability of programs focusing on girls involved in the juvenile justice system and prevention and early intervention strategies for girls vulnerable to SE/DST and who are most likely to end up in the juvenile justice system. Successful applicants will implement prevention and early intervention programs based upon best practices for girls vulnerable to becoming victims of SE/DST who are currently in the juvenile justice system; provide direct support services and mentoring services to girls at risk of becoming victims of SE/DST; and develop or enhance reentry strategies to help vulnerable girls on a path toward success, stability, and long-term contribution to society.

Amount: Dependent upon Category, as follows:

• Category1: Approximately $1,800,000 is available to make up to four awards ranging up to $450,000 each for a period of performance of 36 months.
• Category 2: Approximately $1,300,000 is available to make up to three awards ranging up to $450,000 each for a period of performance of 36 months.
• Category 3: Approximately $1,800,000 is available to make up to four awards ranging up to $450,000 each for a period of performance of 36 months.

Matching funds are not required for Categories 1 and 3; Category 2 does require a match. Federal funds awarded under may not cover more than 75 percent of the total costs of the project. An applicant must identify the source of the 25 percent nonfederal portion of the total project costs and how it will use match funds.

Eligibility: Dependent upon Category, as follows:

• Category 1: States (including territories), units of local government, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, nonprofit organizations and for-profit organizations (including tribal nonprofit and for-profit organizations), and institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education). Eligible applicants that propose to provide direct services to youth must not include youth who are age 18 or older in the population they will serve.
• Category 2: States (including territories), units of local government, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, and nongovernmental organizations. Eligible applicants that propose to provide direct services to youth must not include youth who are age 18 or older in the population they will serve.
• Category 3: States (including territories), units of local government, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, nonprofit organizations and for-profit organizations (including tribal nonprofit and for-profit organizations), and institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education). For the purposes of this solicitation, “youth involved in the juvenile justice system” refers to those youth younger than age 18 who have been arrested or referred for intake to a public agency (state, tribal, city, or county) legally responsible for handling juvenile crime, delinquency, and youth in need of guidance, treatment, or rehabilitation due to problematic behavior (i.e., truancy, running away, ungovernable, etc.). Eligible applicants that propose to provide direct services to youth must not include youth who are age 18 or older in the population they will serve.

Link: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=316430

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