CARECEN After School and Recreation Delinquency Prevention Program.

The OJJDP FY 09 Earmarks Programs further the Department's mission by providing grants, cooperative agreements, and other assistance authorized by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended, to organizations identified in the Explanatory Statement Regarding H.R. 1105 (Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009), 155 Cong. Rec. H1653 (daily ed. Feb. 23, 2009) (statement by Rep. Obey, Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations of the House).

The Pico Union area, where CARECEN is located, is dominated by poverty, overcrowding, gang violence, linguistic isolation, and family fragmentation. It is the most densely populated area in Los Angeles with 119,350 people living within an eight square mile area ~ of which 81.7% are Latino. Twelve percent of Latino residents are between 7-13 years of age and 18% are between 14- 21 years of age. Over 83% of residents over the age of 18 are foreign born.
The purpose of this project is to reduce the number of teenagers in the Pico Union area who engage in delinquent activity and join gangs. This will be accomplished by providing a safe after school environment overseen by caring adults where annually 100 youth will build team skills, have access to technology, do homework and engage in cultural arts activities. The Cayenne tracking system will be used to document dosage; program satisfaction will be tracked through self report questionnaires administered quarterly to youth, parents, and staff. Short term outcomes are that 80% of students demonstrate positive change in perception of peer relationships and positive change in attitude towards school. Intermediate outcomes are that 80% of students will reduce or not engage in delinquent behavior or gang activity. NCA/NCF