Item 15 - Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Formula Youth Funds for Program Year 26-27

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Award WIOA Youth Agreements June 16, 2026 Page 2 RFP in March 2025 created an additional pool of eligible organizations for a two-year procurement cycle from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027. While organizations are selected through multi-year procurement cycles, the City enters into WIOA-funded youth services agreements on a one-year basis due to annual federal funding allocations and budget appropriations. As a result, the current agreements for Program Year 2025-2026 will end on June 30, 2026, and staff recommends approval of new one-year agreements for Program Year 2026-2027. This approach allows the City to evaluate provider performance each year, ensure compliance with changing WIOA funding levels and program requirements, and maintain flexibility in managing youth services. On April 21, 2025, a review committee composed of three Workforce Development Board Youth Council members evaluated and scored the proposals based on the criteria outlined in the RFP. As a result of this process, all three organizations were deemed eligible for inclusion in the two-year procurement cycle ending June 30, 2027. The committee established the following rankings: Rank Organization 1 ] Working Wardrobes for a New Start 2 ]F StandUp for Kids 3 ]F Taller San Jose Hope Builders Staff recommends funding Working Wardrobes and Taller San Jose Hope Builders. StandUp for Kids, although currently funded for PY 2025-26, has requested not to be funded for PY 2026-27. On April 9, 2026, the Workforce Development Board Youth Council Committee approved the Youth Council recommendations to award $200,000 each to Orange County Children's Therapeutic Arts Center, Working Wardrobes for a New Start, and Taller San Jose Hope Builders to serve 20 youth each. Orange County Children's Therapeutic Art Center (OCCTAC), with more than 25 years of experience, has served over 70,000 youth in Santa Ana through culturally competent, trauma-informed programming. Each year, the organization supports approximately 7,000 youth, with targeted services for foster youth, youth with disabilities, high school dropouts, homeless youth, and youth on probation. OCCTAC has been a WIOA Youth provider since 2005. For Program Year 2026-2027, OCCTAC will continue providing a comprehensive WIOA youth employment program that covers 13 of the 14 WIOA-required elements. Services include: • Paid work experience in high-demand fields like education, technology, and the arts;