WHITE PLAINS - To save youth programming, the Westchester County Board of Legislators has approved $150,000 over the next three years for the city of White Plains.  These funds will support “Step Up!”, a training/mentoring youth development program, designed to foster better relationships between law enforcement and at-risk youth. 

Launched as a local youth initiative program in 2006, modeled after a Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention, Step Up! has become a critical component of the city’s efforts to combat gang activity and street violence. 

Once youth become engaged with the program, they receive individual case management and wraparound services to address such risk factors as truancy, poor school performance, substance abuse, unemployment, homelessness concerns and family separation issues.