Deadline: 26 May 2020
The Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families’ Family and Youth Services Bureau announces the availability of funds under the Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) Program.
The purpose of the SRAE Program is to fund projects to implement sexual risk avoidance education that teach participants how to voluntarily refrain from non-marital sexual activity. The services are targeted to participants that reside in areas with high rates of teen births and/or are at greatest risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The goals of SRAE are to empower participants to make healthy decisions, and provide tools and resources to prevent pregnancy, STIs, and youth engagement in other risky behaviors. Successful applicants are expected to submit program plans that agree to use medically accurate information referenced to peer-reviewed publications by educational, scientific, governmental, or health organizations; implement sexual risk avoidance curricula and/or strategies with an evidence-based approach integrate research findings with practical implementation that aligns with the needs and desired outcomes for the intended audience; and teach the benefits associated with self-regulation, success sequencing for poverty prevention, healthy relationships, goal setting, and resisting sexual coercion, dating violence, and other youth risk behaviors such as underage drinking or illicit drug use without normalizing teen sexual activity.
The SRAE program was first funded in FY 2016 and supports the implementation of prevention education aimed to teach youth how to voluntarily refrain from non-marital sexual activity and other risky behaviors. The program is designed to teach youth personal responsibility, selfregulation, goal setting, healthy decision-making, a focus on the future, and the prevention of youth risk behaviors such as drug and alcohol usage without normalizing teen sexual activity. Programs are required to implement an evidence-based approach integrating research findings with practical implementation that aligns with the needs and desired outcomes for the intended audience.
To ensure effective programming, the SRAE Program must, at a minimum, implement evidence-based programs that comply with the following requirements:
- Provide data that demonstrates how the selected curriculum and overall proposal systematically applies key program elements that have been found to be effective in positive youth behavior change, especially delaying initiation of sexual activity, returning to a lifestyle without sex, and refraining from non-marital sex.
- Teach the benefits associated with self-regulation, success sequencing for poverty prevention, healthy relationships, goal setting, resisting sexual coercion, dating violence, and other youth risk behaviors, such as underage drinking or illicit drug use, without normalizing teen sexual activity.
- Link program participants to services with local community partners and other agencies that support the health, safety, and well-being of program participants. The partnering agencies should share a commitment for optimal health outcomes that do not normalize teen sex.
- Provide formal training for facilitators/educators in the program model, elements of the program models, and youth risk and protective factors. This training must be delivered by professionals who can provide follow-up technical assistance to facilitators. Selection of curricula from the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Teen Pregnancy Prevention evidence review list is not required.
- Education in sexual risk avoidance be the exclusive purpose of the grant.
Topics
Programs must address the following topics:
- The holistic individual and societal benefits associated with personal responsibility, selfregulation, goal setting, healthy decision-making, and a focus on the future.
- The advantage of refraining from non-marital sexual activity to improve future prospects and the physical and emotional health of youth.
- The increased likelihood of avoiding poverty when youth attain self-sufficiency and emotional maturity before engaging in sexual activity.
- The foundational components of healthy relationships and their impact on the formation of healthy marriages and safe and stable families.
- How other youth risk behaviors, such as drug and alcohol usage increase the risk for teen sex.
- How to resist and avoid, and receive help regarding sexual coercion and dating violence, recognizing that even with consent, teen sex remains a youth risk behavior.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Funding: $33,500,000
- Award Ceiling: $450,000 Per Project Period
- Award Floor: $300,000 Per Project Period
- Average Projected Award Amount: $400,000 Per Project Period
- Length of Project Period: 36-month project period with three 12-month budget periods
Eligibility Criteria
- State governments
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Special district governments
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- County governments
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Private institutions of higher education
- City or township governments
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Independent school districts
- Small businesses
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=323188