---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 12338"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "12338"
heading: "Supportive services"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/12338"
units:
  - "Chapter 127 — Coordinated Services for Children, Youth, and Families"
  - "Subchapter I — Establishment of Administration and Awarding of Grants for Programs"
  - "Part B — Grants for State and Community Programs for Children, Youth, and Families"
---

# §12338. Supportive services

- (a) **Authority—** The [Commissioner](/usc/42/12302.md?p=1) shall carry out a program for making grants to a [State](/usc/42/12302.md?p=5), that has designated an [independent State body](/usc/42/12332.md?p=4) under [section 12336 of this title](/usc/42/12336.md) and provided for coordinated services under [section 12337 of this title](/usc/42/12337.md), for distribution by the chief executive officer under a [State](/usc/42/12302.md?p=5) plan approved under [section 12337 of this title](/usc/42/12337.md) to demonstrate successful program approaches to fill service gaps identified through [State](/usc/42/12302.md?p=5) planning and advocacy efforts for any of the areas specified in paragraph (2).
- (b) **Eligible services—** The services eligible to be provided under [subsection (a)](#a) are services—
  - (1) that are designed to facilitate the provision of comprehensive [community based](/usc/42/11851.md?p=1) services that are efficient, coordinated, and readily available through such activities as case planning, case management, intake and assessment, and information and referral; and
  - (2) that serve any of the following purposes—
    - (A) provide adequate and safe physical shelter to [young individuals](/usc/42/12302.md?p=6) and the families of such individuals, especially in emergency circumstances;
    - (B) provide transitional living services to [young individuals](/usc/42/12302.md?p=6) who are homeless;
    - (C) enable [young individuals](/usc/42/12302.md?p=6) to attain and maintain physical and mental well-being;
    - (D) provide health screening to detect or prevent illnesses, or both, that occur most frequently in [young individuals](/usc/42/12302.md?p=6) as well as better [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) and counseling;
    - (E) enhance the development of children to ensure that such children enter school prepared and ready to learn;
    - (F) promote the highest quality of educational opportunity, especially through drop-out prevention programs, remediation for [young individuals](/usc/42/12302.md?p=6) who have dropped out of school, and vocational education;
    - (G) provide effective training apprenticeships and employment opportunities;
    - (H) promote participation in community service and civic, cultural, and recreational activities that value [young individuals](/usc/42/12302.md?p=6) as resources and promote self-esteem and a stake in the community;
    - (I) promote the participation of [young individuals](/usc/42/12302.md?p=6) in decisions concerning planning and managing the lives of such individuals;
    - (J) encourage [young individuals](/usc/42/12302.md?p=6) and the families of such individuals to use any community facilities and services that are available to such individuals;
    - (K) ensure that [young individuals](/usc/42/12302.md?p=6) who are unable to live with the biological families of such individuals have a safe place to live until such individuals can return home or move into independent adult life; and
    - (L) prevent the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of [young individuals](/usc/42/12302.md?p=6).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 101–501, title IX, § 932, Nov. 3, 1990, 104 Stat. 1273.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Oct. 1, 1990, see section 1001(a) of Pub. L. 101–501, set out as an Effective Date of 1990 Amendment note under section 8621 of this title.