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The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is partnering with three other federal agencies to coordinate federal, state, and local efforts that serve at-risk and disadvantaged youth and their families. Under the Shared Youth Vision Collaboration, OJJDP, as the representative of the U.S. Department of Justice, will work with the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families, and the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education.

The Shared Youth Vision Collaboration arises out of recommendations from the White House Task Force Report on Disadvantaged Youth. These recommendations include:

• Better management. Streamline the federal response to disadvantaged youth and their families through interagency collaboration, realignment of programs, and improvements to the federal grantmaking system.

• Better accountability. Hold programs accountable for their results, through evaluations, development of performance measures for grantees, and rigorous oversight of earmarked programs.

• Better connections. Involve parents and youth in program implementation.

• Priority for the neediest youth. Target youth in foster care, youth aging out of the foster care system, juvenile offenders, children of incarcerated parents, and migrant youth.

As part of its efforts to implement these recommendations, in fall 2004, the Shared Youth Vision Collaboration (also known as the Federal Partnership) held forums in Philadelphia, PA, Chicago, IL, and Phoenix, AZ, to foster the development of state teams. Forum participants included representatives from state governments, local workforce investment boards, state education and foster care systems, and juvenile justice professionals. State teams attending the forums developed and drafted an action plan. Some state teams have already held meetings, while others await further directions from the Federal Partnership.

Representatives from each of the federal agencies will form teams to coordinate efforts in each state. These federal teams will guide the states in developing and implementing this collaborative approach, monitor each state's progress toward meeting the goals in its action plan, share best practices, identify new members or missing components for each state team, provide access to resources and technical assistance, and, where appropriate, provide onsite support. In July 2005, the Federal Partnership released a letter requesting support at the Executive level for these efforts.

State Representatives within OJJDP's State Relations and Assistance Division (SRAD) represent the Office in this Federal Partnership. OJJDP is working with its federal partners to identify areas, such as training and technical assistance and funding, that lend themselves to collaboration. SRAD State Representatives are working with the juvenile justice specialists and other professionals in their states to foster support for collaboration at the state level and provide appropriate resources. Finally, OJJDP is exploring possible roles for the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention within the framework of the Shared Youth Vision Collaboration.