“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”
John F. Kennedy
Too many of the aged-out youth from foster care, runaway youth, emancipated minors, and other young people with troubled home lives have nowhere to turn to. These vulnerable teens and young adults need help transitioning to adulthood in reliable, safe, and trustworthy environments. Continue reading for a list of national programs that can help our nation’s generation of homeless and hopeless youth.
Youth.gov has federal programs that are designed to end homelessness. The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness has suggested six areas that are consistently identified as important to address in order to help prevent youth homelessness. These include individualized goal-based service planning, ongoing support services connected to mainstream resources, independent living skills training, connection to supportive and trustworthy adults, employment and education, and housing. They have provided a list of federal programs that attempt to address these areas and support homeless and runaway young men and women.
Basic Center Program (BCP)
The BCP was authorized in the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act and is supported by the Family and Youth Service Bureau (FYSB) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). BCP helps create and strengthen community-served programs that meet the immediate needs of runaway and homeless youth that are under 18 by providing shelter, food, clothing, and medical care. There are individual, group, and family counseling. there is crisis intervention, recreation programs, and aftercare services. One of the goals of the BCP is to reunite young people with their families when it is possible and a good option or help locate alternative placements.
Transitional Living Program (TLP)
TLP was authorized in the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act and is supported by the FYSB with the ACF. TLP provides long-term residential services to homeless youth between 16 and 22 years of age. TLP provides living arrangements for youth with host families, with group homes, maternity group homes, and supervised apartments that are owned or rented by the program. Additionally, the program offers the following:
Safe, and stable living accommodations
Basic life skills building consumer education, budgeting, housekeeping, food prep, and parenting skills
Educational opportunities, including GED preparation, post-secondary training, and vocational education
Job attainment services, such as counseling for careers and job placement
Mental health care, including individual and group counseling
Physical health care, including physicals, health assessments, and treatment
Maternity Group Homes for Pregnant and Parenting Youth Program (MGH)
MGH, supported by the FYSB within the ACF, provides support for homeless pregnant and/or parenting youth who are between the ages of 16 and 22, as well as their dependent children. The MGH program provides similar services that the TLP offers, as well as services that incorporate positive youth development, parenting skills, child development, family budgeting, and health and nutrition.
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Street Outreach Program (SOP)
SOP, supported by the FYSB within the ACF, supports work with homeless, runaway, and street youth to help them find safe and stable housing services. SOP focuses on building relationships between the outreach workers and young people so these youth can rebuild connections with caring adults. The ultimate goal is to prevent the sexual exploitation and abuse of youth who are on the streets. The services include street-based education and outreach, access to emergency shelter, survival aid, treatment and counseling, crisis intervention, and follow-up support.
HUD Homeless and Housing Programs
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) supports the Continuum of Care (CoC) Homeless Assistance Programs with a goal of reducing the incidence of homelessness in CoC communities, by assisting homeless individuals and families in transitioning to self-sufficiency and permanent housing, as authorized under Title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The CoC Homeless Assistance Programs include the Supportive Housing Program, the Shelter Plus Care Program, and the Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation for Single Room Occupancy Program.
John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CFCIP)
CFCIP offers assistance to help current and former care youths become self-sufficient. Grants are offered to states and Tribes that submit a plan to assist youth in a wide variety of areas to help them achieve a successful transition to adulthood. Activities and programs include:
Help with education
Employment and financial management
Housing
Emotional support
Assured connections to caring adults
Education and Training Vouchers Program (ETV)
ETV for Youths Aging out of Foster Care was added to the CFCIP in 2002. ETV provides resources designed specifically to meet the needs of youth aging out of foster care. They provide resources for education and training. There is authorization for states and Tribes to use allotted money for post-secondary education and training vouchers for youths who are likely to experience hardship as they transition to adulthood at 18. The program makes available vouchers for up to $5,000 per year per youth for education and training.
Job Corps
Job Corps is the largest free residential education and job training program for young adults aged 16 to 24. Job Corps connects youth with the skills and education needed to pursue the careers they choose. Youth will receive basic living benefits that will make their lives easier, including nutritious meals, furnished rooms with roommates, clothing for career training, a living allowance, basic medical care, childcare allotments, recreational activities, books and supplies, and student organizations.
Additionally, at Job Corps, youths are supplied with basic education and knowledge that goes beyond the classroom and specific training areas. They are educated to receive their high school diploma, their driver’s license, English language learning, math and reading tutoring, a personal career development plan, and fundamental employment skills. They will also receive hands-on training in the career area they select. They provide industry-recognized certifications in 81 high-demand industries. Some of these industries include construction, finance and business, healthcare, information technology, and transportation.