The Youth Workforce Development Programs Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2025 addresses urgent administrative needs for the Department of Employment Services (DOES) as it prepares for the upcoming Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (MBSYEP) and the Career Ready Early Scholars Program (CRESP). The resolution seeks to amend existing laws to allow DOES to modify the use of its funds for food purchases during these programs and to expand the definition of covered child or youth services providers to include employees or volunteers from host employers involved in summer youth programs. This change is necessary to ensure that funds can be appropriately allocated for food and non-alcoholic beverages at events attended by program participants.

Additionally, the resolution aims to grant DOES the authority to conduct background checks on employees or volunteers who will have direct contact or unsupervised access to youth in these programs. Recent guidance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation has indicated that the Department of Human Resources can no longer perform these checks on behalf of DOES, necessitating immediate legislative action. The resolution emphasizes the urgency of these amendments, as background checks need to be initiated promptly to ensure the safety of youth participants, and it allows for the adoption of these changes after a single reading by the Council.