What Protects Against Delinquency? Connection.

A recent study examined whether connections to school, parent figures and neighborhoods impact the likelihood that young people who have been abused will engage in future violent and nonviolent criminal activity. Authors describe how to tell if a connection is protective in nature, as well as their effect on various subpopulations. RHY programs should consider ways of strengthening these ties for individual youth, and how to build a sense of neighbor-like community for RHY in transitional housing.

Read the study here: 
https://www.childtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/SchoolFamilyCommunityYouthMaltreatment_ChildTrends_July2018.pdf

Wishing for Climate Change in Your Schools? Here’s How You Can Help.

This action guide, developed by the U.S. Department of Education in partnership with the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, lays out steps that community partners can take to engage with schools to improve the learning climate for young people. Some ways youth work professionals can contribute include bringing others to the table; sharing data; and weighing in on possible interventions.

Read the action guide here: 
https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/sites/default/files/SCIRP/actionguidecompartwhole.pdf

Measuring Success: Accountability for Alternative Education

A policy brief from American Youth Policy Forum and Civic Enterprises aims to address four key opportunities states have both within and outside of ESSA to better understand and ultimately improve alternative education:

• Definition: What is alternative education?
• Accountability System: What structures can states put into place to ensure alternative settings are appropriately held accountable?
• Accountability Measures: What measures can states consider that accurately reflect the quality of alternative settings?
• Continuous Improvement: How can states use accountability for alternative settings as a tool for continuous improvement?

Read the full brief here: 
https://www.aypf.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Measuring-Succes_Accountability-for-Alt.-Ed.-.pdf

NAEHCY and NLCHP’s FAQs – Education Rights

In September of 2016, the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) and the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP) released the updated version to "The Most Frequently Asked Questions on the Education Rights of Children and Youth in Homeless Situations."

Learn more here: https://naehcy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2017-10-16_NAEHCY-FAQs.pdf

McKinney Vento Application

This information sheet covers different aspects of applying the McKinney-Vento Act to your Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) program. Tips and information are provided for direct care workers and young people themselves.

Access the tip sheet here: https://yoc.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/Resources/resources%20-%20mckinney%20vinto%20practical%20application.pdf