48.545 Brighter futures initiative.

(1) Definitions. In this section:

(a) “Nonprofit corporation" means a nonstock, nonprofit corporation organized under ch. 181.

(b) “Public agency" means a county, city, village, town or school district or an agency of this state or of a county, city, village, town or school district.

(2) Awarding of grants.

(a) From the appropriations under s. 20.437 (1) (eg), (kb), and (nL), the department, subject to par. (am), shall distribute $2,097,700 in each fiscal year to applying nonprofit corporations and public agencies operating in a county having a population of 750,000 or more, $1,171,800 in each fiscal year to applying county departments under s. 46.22, 46.23, 51.42, or 51.437 operating in counties other than a county having a population of 750,000 or more, and $55,000 in each fiscal year to Diverse and Resilient, Inc. to provide programs to accomplish all of the following:

1. Prevent and reduce the incidence of youth violence and other delinquent behavior.

2. Prevent and reduce the incidence of youth alcohol and other drug use and abuse.

3. Prevent and reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect.

4. Prevent and reduce the incidence of nonmarital pregnancy and increase the use of abstinence as a method of preventing nonmarital pregnancy.

5. Increase adolescent self-sufficiency by encouraging high school graduation, vocational preparedness, improved social and other interpersonal skills and responsible decision making.

(am) From the amounts allocated under par. (a), the department may distribute an amount determined by the department to a nonprofit corporation or public agency to provide a program that accomplishes all of the following:

1. Prevents and reduces the incidence of adverse early childhood experiences in children 8 years of age and under and reduces the effects of those experiences through behavioral health and other services.

2. Provides professional development, training, and research in serving children 8 years of age and under for practitioners serving those children.

3. Provides direct services for children 8 years of age and under.

4. Provides child care, including a special care nursery, for children 8 years of age and under that has achieved the top rating provided under the child care quality rating system under s. 48.659.

5. Provides early intervention services under s. 51.44, early childhood education services, in-home treatment services, family services, and outpatient occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy services for children 8 years of age and under.

(b) A nonprofit corporation or public agency that is applying for a grant under par. (a) or (am) shall provide to the department a proposed service plan for the use of the grant moneys. If the department approves the service plan, the department may award the grant. The department shall award the grants on a competitive basis and for a 3-year period.

(c)

1. Beginning in fiscal year 2018-19, the department shall distribute $500,000 in grants in each fiscal year for programs to provide evidence-based programs and practices for substance abuse prevention to at-risk youth and their families.

2. Grants under this paragraph may be made to applying nonprofit corporations or public agencies in a county with a population of 750,000 or more, county departments under s. 46.22, 46.23, 51.42, or 51.437 in counties other than a county having a population of 750,000 or more, or a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band.

3. The department may not award a grant under this paragraph to a county or a tribe that offered the services described under subd. 1. in the preceding fiscal year unless those services were previously funded by a grant under this paragraph.

(3) Outcomes expected.

(a) The department shall provide a set of benchmark indicators to measure the outcomes that are expected of a program funded under sub. (2) (a). Those benchmark indicators shall measure all of the following among youth who have participated in a program funded under sub. (2) (a):

1. The rate of participation in violent or other delinquent behavior.

2. The rate of alcohol and other drug use and abuse.

3. The rate of nonmarital pregnancy and the rate at which abstinence is used to prevent nonmarital pregnancy.

4. The rate of substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect.

5. The development of self-sufficiency, as indicated by the rate of high school graduation, the degree of vocational preparedness, any improvements in social and other interpersonal skills and in responsible decision making and any other indicators that the department considers important in indicating the development of adolescent self-sufficiency.

6. Any other indicators that the department considers important in indicating the development of positive behaviors among adolescents.

(b) The department shall require a grant recipient under sub. (2) (a) to provide an annual report showing the status of its program participants in terms of the benchmark indicators provided under par. (a) and may renew a grant only if the recipient shows improvement on those indicators.

History: 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 16; 2005 a. 25; 2007 a. 20 ss. 1204 to 1214; Stats. 2007 s. 48.545; 2009 a. 28; 2011 a. 32; 2015 a. 55, 172; 2017 a. 261, 365.