The Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act

RECOMMENDATIONS

Appropriate $165 million in FY 2011 for Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) programs. At least $140 million should be appropriated for the consolidated runaway and homeless youth account and at least $25 million should be appropriated for the runaway prevention account.

U.S. Senators—Originate a Dear Colleague sign-on letter to Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations leaders recommending $165 million in FY 2011 for RHYA programs. Include a recommendation of $165 million in FY11 for RHYA programs in the Senator’s annual Program Request letter to Appropriations leaders.

U.S. Representatives—Originate a Dear Colleague sign-on letter to Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations leaders recommending $165 million in FY 2011 for RHYA programs. Include a recommendation of $165 million in FY11 for RHYA programs in the Representative’s annual Program Request letter to Appropriations leaders.

ISSUE STATUS

(visit www.nn4youth.org periodically for status updates)

RHYA programs received $115.7 million in FY 2010, a $750,000 increase over the FY 2009 appropriation ($97.7 million for the consolidated account and $18 million for the prevention account). The President’s FY 2011 Budget Request proposes level funding for RHYA programs.

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WHY THIS MATTERS

RHYA is the Sole Federal Law Targeted to Unaccompanied Youth. Congress first enacted the RHYA in 1974 and has regularly reauthorized it to ensure a basic level of support for unaccompanied youth regardless of their state of origin or residence. Few states have established funding streams targeted to unaccompanied youth.

RHYA Projects are Facing Overwhelming Unmet Need. The basic living needs of too many of our nation’s unaccompanied youth are not being met. In 2009, RHYA programs contacted over 812,000 unaccompanied youth, yet only five percent of those youth were provided shelter or transitional housing through a basic center, transitional living project, or maternity group home.

RHYA Projects are Cost Effective Alternatives to Custodial Care and Arrest.  The average federal cost of serving a youth in a basic center in FY 2009 was $1,212 and in a transitional living project or maternity group home was $10,101. These amounts are far below the minimum cost of serving youth through the child welfare or juvenile justice systems, with annual costs ranging from $25,000 - $55,000 per youth.  Law enforcement officials are the referral source for 20 percent of youth entering basic centers.

RHYA Projects Use Federal Funds to Leverage Community Resources.  RHYA projects succeed due to partnerships created among families, schools, community-based organizations, faith communities, law enforcement agencies, businesses, and volunteers.

RHYA Projects Raise the Achievement Level of Unaccompanied Youth.  The last federally-funded evaluations of the Basic Center Program and the Transitional Living Program found that they produced positive outcomes for participating youth in the following areas:

Family Strengthening

• Basic center youth reported lessened rates of family conflict and parental physical abuse.
• Transitional living youth reported that the program helped them better manage communication and maintain positive relationships with their families.

Education

• School participation among basic center youth doubled after basic center services commenced, compared to the participation rate 30 days prior to accessing a basic center.
• The proportion of youth in transitional living projects attending college was three times that of homeless youth who were not in a TLP.

Employment

• Employment rates of youth in basic centers increased by 24 percent.
• 60 percent of transitional living youth were employed part-time or full-time, compared to 41 percent of homeless youth not participating in a TLP.

 

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BACKGROUND

Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) programs prevent victimization and ensure basic safety of unaccompanied children and youth and ensuring youths’ access to family reunification, housing, education, employment training, health care, and other social services.  

The RHYA Basic Center Program provides grants to community-based, faith-based, and public organizations to support family strengthening efforts, including counseling, home-based services for families with children at risk of separation from the family, and emergency and respite shelter (no greater than 21 days) for youth under the age of 18.  The average age of children entering a basic center is 15 years.  In FY 2009 371 BCP grantees supported 40,102 children and youth at an average cost of $1,212 in federal funds per young person.

The RHYA Transitional Living Program provides grants to community-based, faith-based, and public organizations to support longer-term residential services (up to 21 months) and life skill supports to youth ages 16 through 21 who are unable to return home safely. TLPs assist youth in successfully transitioning into responsible adulthood and self-sufficiency and connecting them to education, workforce, and other supports.  The average age of youth entering a transitional living project is 18 years, eight months.  In FY 2009 208 TLP grantees supported 3,930 youth at an average cost of $10,101 in federal funds per youth.  This program includes maternity group homes, which are residential arrangements for pregnant and parenting youth who are fleeing from abusive homes.  Maternity group homes assist these youth in accessing housing, prenatal care, parenting classes, child care, and educational services.  

The RHYA Street Outreach Program provides grants to community-based, faith-based, and public organizations to support street-based outreach and education to homeless children and youth who have been sexually abused or who are at risk of commercial sexual exploitation.  In FY 2009 172 SOP grantees reached 812,418 youth at an average cost of $19.94 in federal funds per contact.

The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act also authorizes funds for the National Runaway Switchboard; training and technical assistance for grantees; an information clearinghouse; a management information system; research and evaluation; and peer monitoring of grantees.