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The
Rockland County Youth Bureau enriches the lives of all children,
youth & families by promoting an array of positive development and
prevention services. The Youth Bureau’s
vision is to enrich the lives of all children, youth and families by
promoting an array of positive youth development and prevention
services.
The Youth Bureau has served the communities of Rockland since 1974,
as a department of County Government. The Youth Bureau is a public
planning, funding, advocacy and coordinating agency for youth and
family programs in the County of Rockland. It is responsible for
maintaining current information on youth needs, helping to enhance
communication among youth serving agencies and allocating state
funds. All programs and services provided through the Youth Bureau
are free of charge.
The Youth Bureau supports a variety of contracted programs designed
to provide quality comprehensive services to Rockland's children and
youth. Types of programs that are funded through the Youth Bureau
range from child care education and services and counseling services
to creative leisure time activities and substance abuse prevention.
The staff provides technical assistance to organizations and
municipalities in the areas of program development, program
management, monitoring and evaluation, financial planning and how to
access public & private funding. In addition, the Youth Bureau
administers direct service programs:
Youth
Employment Program
Since 1994, the Youth Bureau has administered the
county-funded, year-round Youth Employment Program. Through this
program, private businesses, non-profits and municipal agencies are
offered a unique opportunity to reduce their annual labor costs by
providing employment opportunities for Rockland County youth between
the ages of 14 and 18. Eligibility is based on family income.
Young people participating in the program receive life skills
development, job readiness, office technology and child care
training.
BRIDGES Academy
is a paid workforce preparation program that incorporates community
work site visits and service learning with a classroom-based
curriculum creating a real hands-on approach to the world of work.
All participants are paid $7.15 per hour. Upon graduation, the young
people are provided a placement through the program. BRIDGES
Academy is a collaborative effort of the Rockland County Youth
Bureau, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Rockland B.O.C.E.S. and the
Mental Health Association. The program is funded in large part by a
grant through the Department of Social Services. At pre-employment
training, the young people are evaluated by the trainers and staff
and are recommended for placement at a worksite or BRIDGES Academy.
Rockland County Youth Council
The Rockland County Youth Council is a county-wide unique program
that offers positive activities for youth through leadership
training, youth advocacy and empowerment and community development
and volunteerism. The Council is open to all county youth between
the ages of 14 and 21.
Rockland
County AmeriCorps
The Rockland County AmeriCorps was established by a grant
received by the Youth Bureau from the National AmeriCorps Volunteer
Program. The program will support summer and year-long volunteers
who will serve with non-profit and municipal organizations in
Rockland County to increase environmental awareness that will result
in improved environmental quality in homes, parks and public spaces.
Environmental
Corps
Improves the environmental quality of
parks and open space in Rockland County through clean up,
beautification and educational activities. The activities include:
clean up and beautification of parks, creation of gardens in open
spaces at public housing complexes, educational workshops and
programs for young children about the environment, and educational
programs for targeted populations about water conservation.
Individuals can commit to 700 hours of service year round or a full
time summer program requiring 300 hours of services of a 9-10 week
period.
Literacy Corps
The Literacy Corps is comprised of members who are dedicated to
preparing toddlers for pre-school and kindergarten. In partnership
with our local school districts and the renowned Parent-Child Home
Program (PCHP), RCA trains members to become Home Visitors and
utilize the PCHP early literacy model. The Parent-Child Home
Program is a proven, innovative, home-based literacy, parenting and
school-readiness program that has been serving families since 1965.
It emphasizes the development of parent-child verbal interaction as
a critical component of early childhood cognitive and
social-emotional development. In addition, members are engaged in a
variety of projects to promote literacy for young children.
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