Senate Supports National Runaway Prevention Month

On October 10, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, a resolution (S. Res. 430) designating November 2004, as “National Runaway Prevention Month.” The House approved a resolution (H. Res. 805) supporting efforts to promote greater public awareness of effective runaway prevention programs on October 7 (see The Source, 10/8/04).

Sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), the resolution contains a number of findings, including:

• The prevalence of runaway and homeless youth in the nation is staggering, with studies suggesting that between 1.6 million and 2.8 million young people live on the streets of the United States each year;
• Youth that end up on the streets are often those who have been “thrown out” of their homes by their families; who have been physically, sexually, or emotionally abused at home; who have been discharged by state custodial systems without adequate transition plans; who have lost their parents through death or divorce; and who are too poor to secure their own basic needs;
• The future well-being of the nation is dependent on the value placed on young people and the opportunities provided for youth to acquire the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to develop into safe, healthy, and productive adults; and
• The National Network for Youth and the National Runaway Switchboard are cosponsoring “National Runaway Prevention Month” to increase public awareness of the life circumstances of youth in high-risk situations and the need for safe, healthy, and productive alternatives, resources, and supports for youth, families, and communities.