Youth Programs

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) developed these FAQs about the coordinated entry (CE) processes specific to working with runaway and homeless youth populations. This document provides guidance for Continuums of Care (CoCs) and youth-serving providers about developing and implementing a CE process that is responsive and developmentally appropriate to the needs of youth.

This guide provides information about key applicable Texas and federal laws on emergency shelter/housing, emancipation, public education, medical treatment, and eligibility for state and federal benefits and how they apply to runaway, homeless, and unaccompanied youth. It also identifies how providers can empower youth voices and help youth understand their rights and responsibilities, as well as appreciate and uinderstand the cultural diversity among homeless youth. The last chapter identifies the benefits of collaborative relationships between youth service agencies and law enforcement and juvenile justice systems. Each section contains answers to freqently asked questions related to each subject and offers general guidelines for most situations. Also included are definitions of common terms and phrases used in the law and by government organizations. (Author Abstract Modified)

This article describes an innovative program that connects teens in foster care with supportive adults through social events that can lead to meaningful, long-term, teen-adult connections, including friendships, mentoring, and adoption. More than 400,000 children are in foster care in the U.S., with more than 100,000 of them waiting to be adopted. Yet many will age out of foster care into adulthood without an adoptive family. Teens and young adults aging out of foster care, even those with preparation and training for the transition, often do not fare well in young adulthood. Many face challenges in areas of education, employment, homelessness, finances, the criminal justice system, and meeting health and mental healthcare needs. The Washington, DC, Family and Youth Initiative helps youth ages 12 to 21 in foster care find stable adult relationships through regular teen-adult social events, host family visits, advocacy, and outreach. The program involves a cadre of adult volunteers and monthly social events. Research demonstrates that teens with tangible support from meaningful adult relationships fare better than those without. Pediatric nurses, aware of the challenges these teens face adjusting to adulthood, can begin to explore referral and support options for such teens in their own locales using resources provided in this article. 

This report highlights Opportunity Youth Forum (OYF) communities that are working to improve policies and programs for opportunity youth, who are 16- to 24-year-olds out of work and school. The OYF began as a group of 21 community collaboratives and has grown to a network of more than two dozen urban, rural, and tribal communities. Roughly one-quarter (about 1.2 million) of all opportunity youth in the United States reside in or near OYF communities. The authors discuss evaluation findings that demonstrate the variety of strategies being employed across the network

This report presents a study by the Center for Promise that examines how relationships help keep young people in school and on the path to adult success. In this study, the research team explores how relationships nurture employment and economic success for the young people at four career development and workforce readiness programs across the country. The four programs--located in Dallas, the Bronx, Washington, DC, and the San Francisco Bay Area--are part of a group of Youth Opportunity Fund community partners supported by the Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress initiative, a three-year, $50 million investment to give 100,000 low-income youth in the US the opportunity to develop the workplace skills and leadership experience needed to compete in today’s economy. Research findings include the following: 1) Relationships, including supportive relationships with program leaders, potential employers, volunteers, and program participants, come first; 2) Webs of support are integral to the program design; 3) Relationships endure and extend beyond the program; and 4) Relationship-building approaches differ depending on who the program serves.  

This toolkit from the Child Welfare Information Gateway’s Capacity Building Center for States provides guidance and examples that illustrate the Youth Welfare approach for working with youth in foster care. The Youth Welfare approach recommends shifting from a child-focused system that is reactive, case plan-driven, and protection-focused to a more youth-focused system that is proactive, youth-driven, developmentally-framed, and normalcy-oriented. The toolkit covers the parameters of a youth-focused welfare system, the assessment needs of youth, and the good-better-best continuum service concept.

This report from the Volunteers of America (VOA) summarizes a literature review of the most promising current models of trauma-informed systems. It looks at the definitions of trauma-informed and trauma-specific models. The report also includes a resource list for thought leaders and trainers in the field of trauma-informed services, and concludes with a discussion of findings and proposed next steps toward building a more trauma-informed system.  This VOA study focuses on organizations that interact with children, youth, and families. (author abstract modified)

This brief from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides information for youth housing and service providers with an overview of the four key Coordinated Entry (CE) elements: Access, Assessment, Prioritization, and Referral. The CE process provides youth who are experiencing homelessness better access to the housing and services best suited for them. This brief outlines the main considerations for CE processes specifically for youth, key decisions points within the process, and community examples of coordinated entry for youth.

This journal article presents findings from a mixed-methods case study that sought to identify how a runaway and homeless youth (RHY) organization engages in positive youth development. The researchers found consistent responses from the qualitative and quantitative data that reflect the organization’s youth-centered approach. The key policies and practices that the organization emphasizes are building and maintaining empathetic relationships with youth, promoting youths’ autonomy, and regularly evaluating whether the organization is meeting its mission to provide services that demonstrate best practices. (author abstract modified)

This brief from the Center for Promise at Boston University in collaboration with the Center for Optimized Student Support at Boston College provides an overview of how integrated student support (ISS) systems help promote academic success and improve life outcomes by removing barriers and coordinating services and resources. The brief provides policymakers and stakeholders at the state and local levels with policy recommendations and guidance about ISS for children, youth, and families. This brief includes examples of ISS systems implemented at state and local levels.