Urge Your Legislators to Allocate $2 M in FMAP Dollars to YPP!

Policymakers are working on a mid-year spending bill that includes how they will allocate the FMAP dollars. We need you to weigh in with your legislators ASAP and urge them to restore $2 million to the Young Parent Alternative Education Program. Please organize as many youth in your program and as many of your colleagues as possible to make these calls!

You can find your Senator and Representatives and their contact information here: www.wheredoivotema.com. Below is a script, followed by talking points for your calls.

-Script-

Hi, my name is ____________, and I am calling from _________________(city/town) to urge Representative/Senator ____________to allocate $2 in the mid-year spending bill to the Young Parent Alternative Education Program (DTA 4401-1000). This funding will allow over 300 ready and willing young parents to return to school this year. Fund this critical education program now and avoid the associated costs of increased dropout rates later. Thank you.

-Talking Points-

What we are asking for: That legislators earmark $2 million in FMAP dollars to restore the Young Parent Alternative Education Program (YPP)

• Over 300 ready and willing teen parents did not go back to school this year because of devastating 33% funding cuts to The Young Parent Alternative Education Program (YPP). Restore funding and send these youth back to school!

• Restoring funding to YPP now saves the state millions in the associated costs of dropout later. YPP enables youth who have children of their own to gain the skills they need to become financially stable caretakers. This saves the state millions in welfare, health care, housing, and support service costs.

• YPP is an alternative education program. According to experts in education and the dropout prevention and recovery commission, increasing access to alternative education is critical to reducing dropout. Restore funding to YPP to bolster alternative education options as a component of dropout reduction efforts in MA.