Support Systems for Rural Homeless Youth: A Collaborative State and Local Demonstration Final Report

The Administration for Children and Families’ Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), in coordination with the Manhattan Strategy Group, has released the final report for the Support Systems for Rural Homeless Youth (SSRHY) Demonstration Projects. FYSB awarded demonstration grants to six states - Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Vermont to implement projects designed to improve the support for rural homeless youth by enhancing their connections to supportive services, the community, education, and employment. The report outlines the quantitative and qualitative outcomes of their projects, best practices, and promising approaches to assist FYSB and RHY organizations with offering comprehensive and collaborative support and services for rural homeless youth.

According to the results, at the completion of the projects 94% of youth in Colorado exited to a safe place; 90% of youth in Iowa are now receiving work readiness and job placement services; 91% of youth in Minnesota made safe exits; 50% of youth in Nebraska live with a parent/guardian, relative or friend, and 25% live independently; 101 youth in Oklahoma were provided a multitude of resources, and 18 out of 55 youth in Vermont gained and sustained fulltime employment.

Each state was able to effectively collaborate with local partners to develop and deliver their SSRHY demonstration projects, which contributed to each project’s success. The report can be accessed here.

Nominations Are Being Accepted for Missing Children's Day Awards

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), through its Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), is now accepting nominations through January 23, 2019 for the Missing Children's Day awards.

The award categories are:
Missing Children's Law Enforcement Award
Missing Children's Citizen Award
Missing Children's Child Protection Award
Attorney General's Special Commendation

Award winners will be honored at the National Missing Children's Day Ceremony on May 22, 2019 in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit: https://bit.ly/2SWneav

Contact: (877) 798-7692 or [email protected] with any questions.

Lessons from the Field: "How Mentoring Supports Runaway and Homeless Youth Victims and Survivors of Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking"

The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), in collaboration with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), invites you to join the panel discussion “How mentoring supports runaway and homeless youth victims and survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking.”

Mentoring is a tool that is gaining traction and is emerging as a successful practice with youth who are at risk of or are victims and survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking. The panel discussion will tap into the experiences of programs who provide mentoring services specifically to these youth, including youth experiencing homelessness. The discussion will also focus on the national scope of mentoring youth programs, and how youth-informed practices and youth leadership can assist programs in integrating effective prevention and intervention approaches when working with youth.

When: 
Monday, January, 28, 2019 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. EST

Presenters: 
K. Lenore Jean-Baptiste, Project Coordinator, Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth
Heather McNutt, RHY Program Manager, Common Ground
Kendan Elliott, Project Lead and TA Manager, Youth Collaboratory
Mirielle Milne, Youth Collaboratory Advocate, Youth Catalyst

Registration (required):
All attendees must pre-register for the webinar by clicking the following link: 
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6418869014678522626

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

New RHY Clearinghouse Website

The National Clearinghouse on Homeless Youth and Families (NCHYF), also known as the Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) Clearinghouse, recently launched its new blog and website. The Clearinghouse is sponsored by the Family and Youth Services Bureau and was created specifically for RHY service providers, including grantees, to offer ready access to information and resources that can support the important work they do. The first “On Point” blog post takes readers on a brief tour of the new website. To learn more, please visit: https://rhyclearinghouse.acf.hhs.gov/node/22018.

You may also sign up to receive emails and future blog posts from the Clearinghouse at: https://rhyclearinghouse.acf.hhs.gov/subscribe.