Fit Kids of America Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Program - Fit Kids of America Corp. (FK) proposes a three-year sexual risk avoidance education project serving 1,500 youth ages 12–19 at six school and faith-based sites in four high-need Miami-Dade County ZIP codes (33034, 33125, 33136, and 33142). The target community demonstrates substantial need, with a 2024 teen birth rate of 22.3 per 1,000, nearly three times the Miami-Dade County rate and well above the Florida and national rates. Teen chlamydia reaches 3,704.2 per 100,000 and teen gonorrhea 1,305.9, roughly double and nearly triple county rates. Additional challenges include high rates of child poverty, low educational attainment, and youth in foster care, juvenile justice, and homeless and trafficking-affected populations. FK will deliver two marriage-centered Dibble Institute curricula, Love Notes 4.2 Abstinence Only for high school youth and Relationship Smarts PLUS 5.2 Abstinence Only for middle school youth, to 500 youth annually across one charter school, four alternative schools, and one faith-based site. RSP and LN address all six statutory A–F topics and the Success Sequence for Poverty Prevention and provide medically accurate and complete, age-appropriate, culturally appropriate sexual risk avoidance education that normalizes avoiding nonmarital sexual activity as the optimal health behavior within a positive youth development approach. Universal human trafficking education will be provided to all participants. Educators will screen 100% of youth for identified needs and connect youth to youth-friendly community partners that do not normalize sexual activity outside of marriage, with urgent referrals initiated within 72 hours. FK will also educate 250 parents, caregivers, and community leaders. FK will train 100% of project staff annually and monitor curriculum fidelity through classroom observation. AMTC & Associates, FK's partner for 19 years, will conduct the Project Performance Assessment and an independent local evaluation. FK's experienced incumbent leadership and project staff support full implementation within 90 days of award. The project advances the ACF priorities of Promoting Work and Self-Sufficiency, Promoting Marriage and Family Formation, and Ensuring Value Alignment in Funding and incorporates ACF’s A Home for Every Child initiative. By the end of program delivery, FK expects at least 75% of youth to demonstrate increased intentions to delay sexual activity until marriage, self-regulation skills, skills to resist sexual coercion, and intentions to follow the Success Sequence for Poverty Prevention; 85% of youth will report program satisfaction; and 80% of adults completing education will report increased skills to support youth. FK requests $450,000 annually, $1,350,000 over the three-year project period.
