Improving Transition Services for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities through Braided Funding

Federal initiatives fund key transition and employment supports for youth and young adults with disabilities (Y&YAD). These efforts include Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) — funded by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and Career and Technical Education (CTE) — funded by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V). They share common goals, but are housed in different federal and state agencies and have varying priorities, outcome expectations and requirements. Service providers can leverage these different resources, maximize efficiency of delivery and strengthen programs through “braided funding.” Braided funding involves using multiple resource streams from varying agencies or programs separately and simultaneously “to provide specific services that support an individual in pursuing, obtaining or maintaining competitive integrated employment. Braiding funds has been shown to “reduce complexity, to provide supports more effectively, to use funds and resources more efficiently, and ultimately to better serve jobseekers with disabilities.”