Delaware’s federal delegation secures $375,000 for youth substance use prevention amid statewide prescription opioid settlement grant freezes.
The funding comes as part of the fiscal year 2024 Drug-Free Communities Support Program which is spending approximately $70.4 million on substance use prevention for youth across the country.
Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester says children today face an unprecedented amount of stress with social media, gun violence and climate change, and it’s important to create healthy outlets for them.
“This ability to provide trainings and mentoring and information sessions and after school activities – all of these things will help young people reach their full potential," Blunt Rochester said.
Blunt Rochester says the money is heading to three separate coalition projects led by Impact Community Supports, Edgemoor Community Center, Bellevue Community Center and Duffy’s Hope.
“They have been able to show and demonstrate through evidence based practices that they are successful in their programming," she said.
The organizations were selected through a competitive application process and will each receive $125,000 to support their youth substance use prevention programs.
The announcement of federal funding comes amid a freeze on the state’s distribution of prescription opioid settlement grants after funding recipient Code Purple was flagged for potential fraud and abuse.
The Kent County nonprofit is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice's white collar crime unit and efforts to claw back $290,000 in distributed monies are underway.
After Attorney General Kathy Jennings called for a funding freeze on all grant recipients, the Behavioral Health Consortium still voted to approve $1.9 million for Phase 1 A and Phase 1 B of bridge funding for existing businesses and nonprofits in good standing
But Phase 1 C appears to be on hold until an outside contractor can evaluate the grant distribution process and if any additional guardrails need to be put in place to prevent future fraud.
One evaluation report is expected this month and another is expected in September.
Audits for 11 additional grant recipients are also in the works with results expected this fall.
