Breadcrumb
- Federal Resources
Federal Resources
Report to Congress on the Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs
This report to Congress documents the activities and accomplishments for fiscal years 2012 and 2013 of three programs authorized by the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act. The three programs are the Basic Center, Transitional Living, and Street Outreach. The report also describes the related network of support — including the National Communications System; the monitoring system; and other coordinating, training, and research activities.
Recap: Blogging Challenge to End Youth Homelessness
In November, NCFY asked readers to use their blogs to spread awareness of youth homelessness. Read some of the highlights from these posts on topics like adapting programs, meeting the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth, and educating community decision-makers.
What Factors Predict Whether Youth Will Run Away or Become Homeless Again After Returning Home?
This article highlights a recent longitudinal study, conducted by researchers at The Ohio State University and featured in the Journal of Adolescence, that examined what factors might predict which youth who abuse substances may run away more than once. The youth surveyed who said they ran away or were homeless at least once more since returning home from the shelter (64%) reported more frequent substance use and a weaker sense of family cohesion than did youth who did not leave home again.
Youth as Advocates for Change
This podcast from the Department of Health and Human Services’ National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth features Forrest Vest, a formerly homeless youth, discussing how he is working with a family friend to start a new foundation and how youth can be powerful advocates for change.
Six Questions to Identify Youth at Highest Risk of Long-Term Homelessness
This article describes the Transition Age Youth triage tool, a new questionnaire to determine which youth are most at risk of long-term homelessness without intervention. The tool uses a welcoming, conversational tone to assess for six experiences that are strongly linked to long-term homelessness. The tool can be used in tandem with case management meetings and assessments to develop a service plan, as well as supportive housing.
Q&A: How to Help Homeless Youth Quit Smoking
This Q&A with Joan Tucker, the senior behavioral scientist and professor at Pardee RAND Graduate School in Santa Monica, California, focuses on Dr. Tucker’s work on smoking among homeless youth and her recommendations for what tailored cessation programs might look like.
Testimony at Interagency Council on Homelessness Meeting
The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, leaders in youth homelessness prevention and intervention advocated for youth-centered, culturally-responsive services. They also stated that programs should be trauma informed, cater to the unique needs of special populations of youth, and allow youth to access services even if they are still actively engaged in substance use.
5 Tips for Providing Trauma-Informed Sex Education
This article highlights the work of two researchers who are pioneering changes in sex education that bridge the gap between sex education and trauma-informed care by better understanding how sex education could be more sensitive to students’ traumatic experiences. This article also offers tips, based on this research, for implementing a trauma informed approach to sex education.
Curriculum: Updated Runaway Prevention Intervention
The National Runaway Safeline updated the Let’s Talk: Runaway Prevention Curriculum with new topics, resources, and activities. This free, evidence-based curriculum includes 14 modules on topics ranging from communication and listening to the realities of running away to strategies youth can use to reduce stress.
Guidance: Education Department Reiterates — Title I Funding Can Be Used to Serve Homeless Students
This article explains the guidance provided in a recent “Dear Colleague” letter (PDF, 4 pages) issued by the Department of Education which explains how school districts can use Title I funds to help children and youth experiencing homelessness. Some examples of ways districts can use the funds are to transport homeless students to and from school, pay the salaries of staff who work with homeless youth, and to generally meet the needs of these students.
Resource: 5 Ways to Serve Traveling Street Youth
This blog post provides five tips for youth-serving professionals on working with traveling youth, also known as transient youth, which are homeless youth who choose to travel around the country.
Report: Street Outreach Program Data Collection Study
This report presents data on service utilization and needs from a subset of homeless street youth being served by a cohort of Street Outreach Program grantees funded in fiscal year 2010 (data collection occurred in 2013). The goal was to learn about the needs of street youth from their perspective, to better understand which services youth found helpful or not helpful, and to identify alternative services they felt could be useful to them. A recent blog post shares the steps the current administration has taken to prevent and end homelessness, and features a new public service announcement campaign targeted at runaway and homeless youth.
Opportunity for Involvement: FYSB Grant Reviewers
This request for reviewers invites qualified applicants to serve as grant reviewers for a range of FYSB programs benefiting youth and families.
Report: Family and Youth Services Bureau Highlights in 2014 & 2015
This report shares FYSB’s key accomplishments over the past two years specifically related to ending youth homelessness, domestic violence, and teen pregnancy.
Resource: Addressing the Legal Needs of Homeless Youth
This resource describes the legal issues homeless youth may face and how organizations can help them access assistance to prevent those issues from negatively impacting their future.
Resource: Running Away from Foster Care
This article highlights a literature review that analyzed the research on prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes of running away from foster care, as well as the interventions implemented to stop it from happening.
Report: National Trends on Youth in Crisis
This report (PDF, 30 pages) illustrates trends in the characteristics of young people in crisis who contact the National Runaway Safeline for help. The results show that abuse and neglect were among the most common issues reported by those seeking support.
Resource: Mindfulness Classes Help Homeless Youth Understand, Regulate Emotions and Behaviors
This article highlights four tips for starting a mindfulness program for homeless youth. Mindfulness programs can give homeless young people insight into how their experiences have shaped their thinking and behavior and help them learn to control how they react to everyday stressors.
Share with Youth: 1-800-RUNAWAY Public Service Announcement (PSA)
This PSA features the voice and story of a young person who experienced homelessness and found help using the National Runaway Safeline. Youth-serving professionals can use this PSA to educate young people about the nationwide network of housing and support services available through the National Runaway Safeline.
Resource: Health Care Coverage for Homeless and At-Risk Youth
This fact sheet describes eligibility for health care coverage, including through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), for youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness. It also provides information on subpopulations of youth who may be eligible, services covered, enrollment, and Medicaid and CHIP income eligibility levels for each state.
Adolescent Literacy Research Network
The Adolescent Literacy Research Network is a partnership of The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), and Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), designed to support each agency's effort to enhance literacy and employment skills of young American adults.
Rural Education Resource Center
The Rural Education Resource Center is designed to disseminate information regarding research and practice to stakeholders on a wide range of topics of particular importance to schools and communities in rural America and to bring renewed attention to the problems and issues of students in rural schools.