The Westchester County Youth Board is an advisory board to the County Executive, George Latimer, which is comprised of a diverse group of stakeholders whose interest is to support opportunities that respond to the needs and problems of children, youth, and families. The County Executive appoints citizens to the Youth Board who have the ability and the willingness to make recommendations to the executive, administrative, and other legislative bodies with respect to the solution of youth problems, the enactment of youth programs, and the promotion of positive youth development principles. The Board works in partnership with the Executive Director of the Youth Bureau to address the enumerated priority areas of youth services that are essential to an effective countywide children and family planning process.
The Board is guided by the Westchester County Charter, which describes a geographic methodology for selecting board members. The Board is comprised of no more than 25 members. It is expected that an average of three to four hours per month be dedicated to the board activities. Activities of the board include but are not limited to the following:
- Attendance at the Youth Board meetings to be held on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 6-7pm at 148 Martine Avenue (9th floor of the main county office building)
- Advocacy for services that address local youth problems and needs
- Encouragement of closer cooperation between public, private, and nonprofit sectors, along with the faith based community and voluntary agencies
- Assistance in fact gathering for Needs Assessments and the development of reports which will inform priorities for the County Executive, the Youth Bureau, and the New York State Office of Children and Family Services
- Review and analysis of grant applications from various organizations
- Support to the Youth Bureau in seeking outside sources of revenue to provide positive youth development services through the review and analysis of state, federal or county government grants as well as private opportunities
- Collaboration with the Executive Director and youth-focused nonprofits, to establish criteria for allocation of funds to youth programs
- Collaboration with employers and businesses to stimulate employment for youth
- Monitoring and Assessment in the form of site visits of the positive youth development programs that receive funding through the Westchester County Youth Bureau
- Technical Assistance on special projects