Program Management

Youth Network Council is a programmatically diverse organization with each of its programs consistent with its mission of supporting local, community-based youth serving agencies and enhancing their capacity to serve young people and their families in their respective communities. Currently, the organization's programs include:

Illinois Youth Services Resource Center (IYSRC): Since the inception of Illinois' system of community-based youth services in January 1982, the IYSRC has been providing training, technical assistance, and other support to local providers throughout the state.
Illinois Collaboration on Youth (ICOY): was founded in 1979 as a program of the Youth Network Council. Through ICOY, a variety of opportunities and supports are provided to youth service organizations, young people, and families throughout Illinois. Many of these programs involve service brokerage with other local youth agencies.

Mentoring Training & Support: YNC provides training and support services to Chicago Youth Centers’ Making Mentoring Meaningful (MMM) program. MMM matches volunteer adults to children with at least one parent who is incarcerated to form a supportive, healthy relationship.

Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission (IJJC): The Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission (the Commission) serves as the federally mandated State Advisory Group to the Governor, the General Assembly and the Illinois Department of Human Services. The Commission has 25 member positions appointed by the Governor. They have training, experience, and/or special knowledge concerning the prevention and treatment of juvenile delinquency or the administration of justice.

Illinois Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (IJDAI): Through a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and in coordination with the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission, Illinois' JJDPA State Advisory Group (SAG), YNC administers a state-wide effort to create incentives for jurisdictions to reduce census in their detention centers.

Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC): Under the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) provides administrative and staff support to the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission (IJJC), which is charged with the oversight of the implementation of the core requirements of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). One core requirement addresses the issue of Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC). Through a subcontract with IDHS, YNC administers a state-wide effort to reduce racial disparities in the juvenile justice system through systemic improvement and prevention.

Youth Services Capacity Enhancement Program (YSCEP): Through a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, under the ARRA FY-09 Strengthening Communities Fund, YNC provides capacity-building support and resources to faith-and community-based organizations serving at-risk youth and their families in the city of Chicago. The goal of YSCEP is to stimulate organizations operating in the most distressed and underserved neighborhoods within the city; building their capacity to provide services and maximizing their social impact. YSCEP services are offered in the form of training, one-on-one technical assistance, and financial assistance to grassroots organizations, with a focus on the following capacity-building priorities: leadership development, organizational development, program development, collaboration and community engagement, and evaluation of effectiveness.

YSCEP Frequently Asked Questions

YSCEP RFA for Technical Assistance

Chicago Safe Place Program: Through a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, under Promoting Child and Youth Safety: Community Initiatives, YNC is implementing a pilot project utilizing the National Safe Place model. This model establishes public locations as designated places for youth to go in crisis situations. YNC promotes youth safety by preventing victimization of Chicago's youth through access to resources to prevent disengagement with families, family reunification services (when appropriate), and safe housing alternatives for unaccompanied and homeless youth.