(a) A Runaway Youth and Families in Crisis Project shall be established in one or more counties in the San Joaquin Central Valley, in one or more counties in the northern region of California, and in one or more counties in the southern region of California. Each project may have one central location, or more than one site, in order to effectively serve the target population.

(b) The Office of Emergency Services shall prepare and disseminate a request for proposals to prospective grantees under this chapter within four months after this chapter has been approved and enacted by the Legislature. The Office of Emergency Services shall enter into grant award agreements for a period of no less than three years, and the operation of projects shall begin no later than four months after grant award agreements are entered into between the agency and the grantee. Grants shall be awarded based on the quality of the proposal, the documented need for services in regard to runaway youth, and to organizations, as specified in subdivision (d) of this section, in localities that receive a disproportionately low share of existing federal and state support for youth shelter programs.

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(c) The Office of Emergency Services shall require applicants to identify, in their applications, measurable outcomes by which the agency will measure the success of the applicant’s project. These measurable outcomes shall include, but not be limited to, the number of clients served and the percentage of clients who are successfully returned to the home of a parent or guardian or to an alternate living condition when reunification is not possible.

(d) Only private, nonprofit organizations shall be eligible to apply for funds under this chapter to operate a Runaway Youth and Families in Crisis Project, and these organizations shall be required to annually contribute a local match of at least 15 percent in cash or in-kind contribution to the project during the term of the grant award agreement. Preference shall be given to organizations that demonstrate a record of providing effective services to runaway youth or families in crisis for at least three years, successfully operating a youth shelter for runaway and homeless youth, or successfully operating a transitional living facility for runaway and homeless youth who do not receive transitional living services through the juvenile justice system. Additional weight shall also be given to those organizations that demonstrate a history of collaborating with other agencies and individuals in providing such services. Priority shall be given to organizations with existing facilities. Preference shall also be given to organizations that demonstrate the ability to progressively decrease their reliance on resources provided under this chapter and to operate this project beyond the period that the organization receives funds under this chapter.

(Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 352, Sec. 535. (AB 1317) Effective September 26, 2013. Operative July 1, 2013, by Sec. 543 of Ch. 352.)