---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 U.S.C. § 6421"
title: "20"
title_heading: "Education"
number: "6421"
heading: "Purpose and program authorization"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/20/6421"
units:
  - "Chapter 70 — Strengthening and Improvement of Elementary and Secondary Schools"
  - "Subchapter I — Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged"
  - "Part D — Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk"
---

# §6421. Purpose and program authorization

- (a) **Purpose—** It is the purpose of this part—
  - (1) to improve educational services for children and youth in local, tribal, and [State](/usc/20/7171.md?p=b-6) institutions for neglected or delinquent children and youth so that such children and youth have the opportunity to meet the same challenging [State](/usc/20/7171.md?p=b-6) academic standards that all children in the [State](/usc/20/7171.md?p=b-6) are expected to meet;
  - (2) to provide such children and youth with the services needed to make a successful transition from institutionalization to further schooling or employment; and
  - (3) to prevent [at-risk](/usc/20/6472.md?p=2) youth from dropping out of school, and to provide dropouts, and children and youth returning from correctional facilities or institutions for neglected or delinquent children and youth, with a support system to ensure their continued education and the involvement of their families and communities.
- (b) **Program authorized—** In order to carry out the purpose of this part and from amounts appropriated under [section 6302(d) of this title](/usc/20/6302.md?p=d), the [Secretary](/usc/20/7801.md?p=46) shall make grants to [State educational agencies](/usc/20/7801.md?p=49) to enable such agencies to award subgrants to [State](/usc/20/7171.md?p=b-6) agencies and [local educational agencies](/usc/20/7801.md?p=30-A) to establish or improve programs of education for neglected, delinquent, or [at-risk](/usc/20/6472.md?p=2) children and youth.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 89–10, title I, § 1401, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title I, § 101, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1580; amended Pub. L. 114–95, title I, § 1401(1), Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 1900.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 6421, Pub. L. 89–10, title I, § 1401, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, § 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3591, set out findings and purpose and authorized program, prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 107–110.

A prior section 1401 of Pub. L. 89–10 was classified to section 2821 of this title, prior to the general amendment of Pub. L. 89–10 by Pub. L. 103–382.

### Amendments

2015—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 114–95, § 1401(1)(A), inserted “, tribal,” after “youth in local” and substituted “challenging State academic standards” for “challenging State academic content standards and challenging State student academic achievement standards”.

Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 114–95, § 1401(1)(B), inserted “and the involvement of their families and communities” after “to ensure their continued education”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2015 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 114–95 effective Dec. 10, 2015, except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see section 5 of Pub. L. 114–95, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title.