20 USC § 6421 - Purpose and program authorization

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t20/s6421"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "20 USC § 6421 - Purpose and program authorization"
title_number: 20
title_name: "EDUCATION"
section_number: "6421"
section_name: "Purpose and program authorization"
chapter_number: 70
chapter_name: "STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS"
subchapter_number: "I"
subchapter_name: "IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED"
part_number: "D"
part_name: "Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
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.)"
---


# § 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 institutions for neglected or delinquent children and youth so that such children and youth have the opportunity to meet the same challenging State academic standards that all children in the State 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 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** section 6302(d) of this title

In order to carry out the purpose of this part and from amounts appropriated under , the Secretary shall make grants to State educational agencies to enable such agencies to award subgrants to State agencies and local educational agencies to establish or improve programs of education for neglected, delinquent, or at-risk 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.)

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 6421, , as added , , , set out findings and purpose and authorized program, prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by .

A prior  was classified to , prior to the general amendment of  by .

### Amendments

2015—Subsec. (a)(1). , 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). , 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  effective , except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see , set out as a note under .