42 U.S.C. § 12337 — State coordination of services

(a) Authority. The Commissioner^* gives states formula-based grants (meaning the amount is set by a formula, not competition) to improve how services for children, youth, and families are coordinated.

(b) Application. To get a grant, a state's chief executive officer must submit an application with a plan that gives nine assurances: (1) the independent State body^* is committed to interagency planning that leads to statewide policies for real collaboration among agencies, shown through joint planning, funding, and service delivery, shared intake, and similar steps that reduce barriers and improve local service; (2) the plan is based on needs shown in updated reports (like "State^* of the Child" reports), covering detailed information the state gathers on young people and their families, including their age, sex, race, and ethnicity; where they live; how often they experience homelessness; their family makeup; their economic situation; poverty rates; experiences being cared for away from home; health; violence in their homes or communities; how connected they are to school and work; school dropout rates; and the character of the communities where they live; (3) the fund distribution system will guarantee that every area has an equal chance to apply for or get funds, and that the public can give input on the plan; (4) the independent State body will inventory existing public and private services, evaluate the need for more supportive services, and figure out how well current programs meet that need; (5) the independent State body will file whatever reports the Commissioner requires, in whatever form is required; (6) the state will use proper fiscal controls and accounting procedures to make sure federal funds are handled correctly, including funds passed on to grant or contract recipients; (7) the independent State body will regularly evaluate the activities under this section and section 12338, and report results and recommendations to the state's chief executive and legislature; (8) the chief executive will offer technical assistance or in-service training to staff carrying out this section and section 12338; and (9) the chief executive will make sure the state implements the supportive-services requirements of section 12338.

(c) Use of grants to states. Despite section 12340(g), a state can use the money it is allotted under section 12340(a) to pay for administering its state plan, including the costs of preparing the plan and providing technical help to local areas, evaluating the plan's activities, collecting data and analyzing the need for supportive services, sharing that data, and providing short-term training to staff at public or nonprofit agencies running programs under this part. The independent State body decides what percentage of these costs to cover.

(e) Supplement not supplant. Money a state gets under this section and section 12338 can only add to existing federal, state, and local funding for these purposes; it cannot replace that funding. This money also cannot be used to meet the matching requirements of any other federal program.

(f) Relationship to family resource and support program grants. If a state plans to also apply for a grant under section 12339 for the same calendar year, its application under this section must describe its plans for family resource and support programs, and explain how it will coordinate the use of all the funds it receives under this part.