Mar 16 Newsletter — OY Federal Updates

Written By Caitlin Kawaguchi


Let's Catch Up

Deadlines Coming Up in FY27 Appropriations Process

At the end of February, House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) published FY27 appropriations guidance. Programmatic and language requests from members of Congress are due to committee by March 27th, and guidance can be viewed here. This means that programmatic funding and language requests need to be submitted to individual offices as soon as possible over the next two weeks. Community Project Funding (CPF) requests – previously referred to as earmarks – are due to committee by 6:00 PM EST on March 27th, and then members of Congress must post CPF requests on their websites by 6:00pm EST on April 17th. Guidance for submission can be viewed here. In FY27 for Labor-HHS-Ed, CPF requests will only be accepted for the Department of Health and Human Services—Health Resources and Services Administration—HRSA-Wide Activities and Program Support.

A Reminder of the Final FY26 Appropriations Bill

The FY26 Labor-HHS-Ed bill could have been much, much worse. However, federal support for youth employment and training continues to die by a thousand cuts.

  • It changed little about programs serving Opportunity Youth (OY), rejecting proposals in President Trump’s budget that would have eliminated Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth, Adult Education, Job Corps, and AmeriCorps funding.

  • The bill included targeted language to protect existing programs, such as a prohibition on unilateral closure by the executive branch of Civilian Conservation Centers and Job Corps Centers – unless they meet existing statutory and regulatory requirements for closure.

Congressional Bipartisan Opportunity Youth Caucus

THE NATIONAL OPPORTUNITY YOUTH COALITION (NOYC) is a new coalition made up of national, state, and regional organizations dedicated to advancing equitable federal policies to improve workforce and economic mobility outcomes for young people aged 16-24 who are disconnected from school and work, including those impacted by homelessness, child welfare, or the criminal legal system. Through collective advocacy, strategic policy development, and consensus recommendations, the coalition seeks to drive systemic change that ensures all young people have pathways to thrive economically.

You may remember in 2025 we asked for your support for a letter to the House and Senate Education and Workforce Committee’s urging them to take up a WIOA reauthorization bill that included key pieces of OY policy in A Stronger Workforce for America Act (ASWA), the WIOA reauthorization that almost passed at the end of 2024.

While many of your organizations signed on to that letter, we didn’t end up sending it to Congress as we were waiting to see if there would be any movement on reauthorization in this Congress (119th 2025/2026). We have learned the House Education and Workforce Committee is likely to move forward a WIOA reauthorization before August, and we now need to send our letter and weigh in with the committees and Members of Congress to ensure Opportunity Youth policy remains a focus of reauthorization.

If your organization previously signed on, you're still on the list! If not, please sign on with this form. We also ask that you send this letter out to your networks (partner orgs, unions, businesses, chambers of commerce, funders, employers etc.) so we can get even more organizations signed on!

Deadline to sign on is March 27.

Take Action: Sign On Today!

Now that Fiscal Year 2026 is ALMOST complete, our coalition is moving full steam ahead with our FY27 ask for workforce and education programing. We have already sent a letter to the hill urging them to focus on FY27 appropriations and to increase funding streams the assist opportunity Youth. You can view the full letter here: You can access the full coalition letter by clicking here. The appropriations session is just getting started so there is still time to add your name to list. Please feel free to share the letter with your networks.

The funding we seek for fiscal year 2027 (FY27) takes into account inflation, need, and federal budget limitations. We need YOUR help to urge Congressional members to fortify investments for all education and labor programs to provide more opportunities for young people to engage in economic advancement in FY27. Some of the key programs include:

  • WIOA Youth Activities

  • Apprenticeship

  • Adult Education State Grants

  • AmeriCorps State and National

  • AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps

  • McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program

  • Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO)

  • Runaway and Homeless Youth Act Program

  • YouthBuild

  • Job Corps

You can sign on to the letter using this link: OY Sign-On Letter
You can read the full letter here: RYC FY27 Appropriations Request Letter

The Deadline to Sign On is March 26th!If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to the Reconnecting Youth Campaign National Partners:

CLICK HERE TO SIGN ON TO OUR LETTER

Support Our Campaign Partners

Rooted in Action: NYEC Annual Conference

The National Youth Employment Coalition is hosting its 2026 Annual Forum in Houston, TX, March 30–April 1. Over three days, hundreds of attendees will connect, share innovative strategies, and explore community-driven solutions to strengthen education and employment opportunities for all young people. Registration closes SOON!

Register by clicking HERE.

Opportunity Youth Congressional Liaison Update

Meet Our New Cohort

The newest cohort of the Opportunity Youth Congressional Liaison Program (OYCL) is officially in action! For the next few months young people ages 16 to 26 will participate in a paid fellowship where they will be equipped with the skills and tools to advocate directly to policymakers. This virtual, part-time program was designed with and for Opportunity Youth to level up their advocacy skills and connect to others working for more equitable access to opportunity.

Next week, our OYCLs will be traveling to DC to meet directly with their members of congress and connect with each other. We’re excited for them to get a chance to do their advocacy in-person and the opportunity to talk to their members DIRECTLY about the issues that matter the most to them and young people!

Resource Center

Federal Earmarks Guide

This guide from the National Network for Youth (NN4Y) provides step-by-step instructions to submit a Community Project Funding – also called earmark – request.

Watch the video here: FY 2027 Earmarks Webinar: Secure Funding to Prevent and End Youth Homelessness

Getting Workforce Pell Right for Young People – What We’ve Learned from Career Technical Education

Advance CTE and the National Skills Coalition (NSC) discuss the movement of Workforce Pell from policy to practice, and how new opportunities for learners and workers can have to high quality education and training programs. This blog explores how policymakers can draw from learnings in Career Technical Education (CTE) to ensure that Workforce Pell is a meaningful bridge to new college and career possibilities for young people – not a detour that constrains their futures.

Economic Bill of RYTS (Real Youth Troubles & Solutions)

MyPath's Youth Economic Bill of RYTS (Real Youth Troubles and Solutions) is a document created by and for youth that identifies the most pressing financial issues young people around the country face and offers policy-based youth-centered solutions. The current version was created in 2019 and reflects the needs of youth navigating a global pandemic. The current 2025-2026 POWER Leaders cohort is working to 'refresh' the document to reflect the current realities and needs of young people. As the group creates a first draft, we want to gather input from as many voices and policy perspectives as possible. We invite you to review the current Bill of RYTS and share your feedback – what feels most relevant, what may be missing, and what should be reconsidered as we shape the next iteration of this important youth-centered policy tool.

Why New SNAP Work Requirements Undermine Workers and States

The National Skills Coalition (NSC) writes about the new federal work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through the “Big Beautiful Bill” (H.R. 1) that was passed earlier this year. This article discusses how the work requirements are actually barriers to workers finding and keeping good jobs, and will ultimately block people from food assistance during the process.

Career Pathways to Success

The Anne E. Casey Foundation invests in efforts to equip OY with the skills, credentials, and experiences needed to prepare for placement in their first job, gain experience, and grow their careers. This report highlights key strategies that Casey and its partners have implemented to help young people navigate transitions from school to work.

Monthly Opportunity Youth Policy Stakeholders Meeting

For all those with important perspectives to share and a willingness to engage in federal advocacy and implementation, but for whom weekly meetings would be overkill, we will host monthly meetings that cover the content from both meetings above (advocacy and implementation), briefing participants on key developments, soliciting views and priorities, and providing meaningful opportunities to engage. These meetings are designed particularly for organizations whose work is not primarily federal advocacy, but whose voices are critical to ensure federal efforts meet their needs, for example, Aspen Opportunity Youth Forum sites, LEAP sites, and NLC Reengagement Network participants.

Meetings are held on the last Monday of each month at 4pm (EST)

Register Here

Connect With Us On LinkedIn!

The Reconnecting Youth Campaign is on LinkedIn! Give us a follow to keep up with news and resources, and message us if there's a post you'd like amplified.

Caitlin Kawaguchi
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FY27 Appropriations Sign-On Letter
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Feb 27 Newsletter — OY Federal Updates