Teen REACH program services are provided for at-risk children and youth ages 6 to 17, or any subset within that age range. Accepted age group subsets are 6-10, 11-13, and 14-17. Because of the Department's priority on targeting services to youth ages
11-17, agencies serving both younger and older age groups must provide no more than 30 15% of their services to children ages 6 to 10 (i.e., at least 70 85% of their services
to youth ages 11 to 17.) For agencies operating the program at multiple sites, these percentages apply to the total population served by the agency, across all sites, not the number at any individual program site.
The individual and/or family risk factors of youth targeted by the Teen REACH program may include but not be limited to the following:
- Youth lives in a single-parent household or with grandparents
- Youth resides in a household receiving TANF funds
- Youth experiences academic difficulties
- Youth has witnessed or been a victim of family violence
- Youth has siblings who dropped out of school
- Youth has siblings who are teen parents
- Youth has siblings who are involved in the juvenile justice system
- Youth has one or both parents who are incarcerated
- Youth receives services from DCFS or partner service delivery systems
- Youth is obese or otherwise nutritionally at risk
- Parent, and/or siblings involved with substance abuse or dependence
