Basic center program - the basic center program (BCP) (CY) provides temporary shelter and counseling services to youth who have left home without permission of their parents or guardians, have been…

The Administration on Children, Youth and Families awarded a $350,000 Basic Center Program (CFDA 93.623) Project Grant to Ignite ORG's Teen Living Programs Division on September 30, 2025, with a completion date of September 29, 2028. Under this three-year award, Ignite ORG will provide emergency shelter, crisis intervention, and family reunification services to youth under 18 years of age experiencing homelessness or housing instability in Illinois. Services include up to 21 days of emergency shelter, food, clothing, counseling, case management, and referrals for health care and other supportive services, with a primary focus on reuniting youth with their families whenever safe to do so or locating appropriate alternative placements.

The Basic Center Program grant supports Ignite ORG's comprehensive approach to addressing youth homelessness in the Chicago metropolitan area, particularly serving unaccompanied, pregnant, and parenting youth. This award represents a continuation of federal support, as Ignite ORG has previously received multiple grants from the Administration on Children, Youth and Families and the Department of Housing and Urban Development for related programs including street outreach, transitional living, and permanent housing solutions. The organization's multi-faceted service delivery model aims to prevent youth from entering the law enforcement or child welfare systems while promoting self-sufficiency and community-coordinated strategies for homelessness prevention and intervention.

Basic center program - the basic center program (BCP) (CY) provides temporary shelter and counseling services to youth who have left home without permission of their parents or guardians, have been forced to leave home, or other homeless youth who might otherwise end up in the law enforcement or in the child welfare, mental health, or juvenile justice systems. Bcps work to establish or strengthen community-based programs that meet the immediate needs of runaway and homeless youth and their families. Bcps provide youth under 18 years of age with emergency shelter, food, clothing, counseling and referrals for health care. Bcps can provide up to 21 days of shelter for youth and seek to reunite young people with their families, whenever possible, or to locate appropriate alternative placements.