LA City Council On Verge Of Creating Youth Development Department
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday will consider a motion to create a youth development department designed to centralize the city's response to programs geared towards young people.
The motion, which was introduced by several city councilors back in February, argues that the city's youth programs are currently spread out across 26 departments.
"Young people deserve a government structured and designed to meet their needs informed by their voice, not outdated preservation of unmeasured programs," the motion reads. "For 50 years, youth development work has operated as a subsidiary of other initiatives. Intervention strategies should not begin upon entanglements with law enforcement, greater investments in diverse early prevention efforts are desperately needed. Systemic reforms are needed with a singular focus on youth ages 10-25, a population that has been overlooked in strategic investments and programming."
Under an ordinance drafted by the city attorney earlier this month, the department would serve as a central information center for the public to access youth services.
It's unclear what kind of budget the department would operate with.
According to the motion, there are currently 200,000 young people living in poverty in the city of L.A., 3,000 of which are homeless.
For the motion to be adopted on Tuesday, the City Council must unanimously approve it. If not unanimously approved, it will be considered again after the council members return from recess on July 27. Upon second consideration, the ordinance requires at least eight affirmative votes to pass.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
