Orange County seeks proposals for youth programs, $95,000 in funding

Orange County put about $95,000 on the table for youth programs, opening a competitive funding round that could help nonprofits and municipalities expand services for children and teens from birth through age 20.

The county’s Youth Bureau posted the request for proposals, known as RFP-YB01-26, on May 11, 2026. It is seeking applications from nonprofits and municipalities for programs that improve youth and community outcomes through the Touchstones framework, a countywide planning model built around Economic Security, Physical and Emotional Health, Education, Citizenship, Family and Community.

The eligibility rules are practical and specific. Programs must serve young people in Orange County, and services generally must be delivered within the county, although occasional trips outside Orange County are allowed with prior approval from the Youth Bureau. Existing programs that already receive Youth Bureau support can apply for expanded programming or for serving more young people, but applicants must spell out those changes clearly in their proposals.

For local providers, the grant round offers one of the few direct county funding paths for after-school work, mentoring, family support, recreation, education, and other services that reach children at different stages of development. The age span, from newborns to 20-year-olds, gives the county room to back early-childhood supports, school-based programming, teen outreach and transition-age services that help older youth move toward work, training or college.

The county’s youth funding structure is not new. Orange County used the same Touchstones framework in its 2025 youth requests for proposals, and a county notice last year said the Youth Bureau, with support from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services and the County of Orange, provides funding for additional strategies run by community-based organizations and municipalities. The county’s youth team sports round for nonprofits was even larger, with just over $223,000 administered for underserved youth under age 18 in the 2025-26 program year.

Orange County has also treated youth services as part of a larger public ecosystem, not a one-off grant cycle. At the 43rd Annual County Executive Youth and Adult Awards at SUNY Orange in Middletown, the county honored 158 people, including 117 youth and 41 adults, before nearly 700 guests. Groups seeking the latest Youth Bureau information can call 845-615-3620 for a complete listing of funded programs, a useful starting point for organizations trying to decide whether this round can help them reach more Orange County families.