Klemey's Ap. Research Paper (6 pages due tomorrow!!!)

Homeless Youth and Our Future

What does our nation rely on for a bright and healthy future? What have we always depended on to
ensure that we stay a firm country with great leaders and aspiring inventors to push us forward? Our children
and youth is the answer, from the fifty states all over America. They are the ones who grow up and take over for
their elders, becoming presidents, CEO's, law makers, doctors, scientists, and so on. They go to school, become
educated and then help keep this country moving on, but what happens when our life source faces problems
like drug use, starvation, and no money? Homeless youth, an annually growing number, face these obstacles
plus much worse ones on a daily basis. The rate of homeless youth in America is steadily increasing every year.
Kristin M. Ferguson wrote, "the 2000 census documented that 529 children and youths younger than 18 were
homeless, up from 13 reported in 1990," that is a 516 person increase, she went on to state, "service providers
within the census tract, however, estimated that the number of homeless minors is closer to 700" (2007). That
was just the count for a section of Los Angeles, California. A homeless young adults reasoning behind their
situation vary greatly from scholastic difficulties and dropouts, accidental pregnancies, gang involvement,
alcohol and substance abuse, familial conflict, parental strictness, abuse, and neglect, poverty, and residential
instability (Ferguson, 2007). All these things, alone or combined, have a negative effect on what will become of
these people. The negative effects that being homeless has on these people is in turn going to have a strong
impact on America’s future if a sufficient way to help decrease the rate of homeless youth is not found.
The United States official federal definition of the term homeless or a person who is homeless is "an
individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence," (Title 42, Chapter 119, Subchapter I).
So what are the current types of shelters and programs being provided for homeless youth? Well, according to
Jody M. Greene, "in 1974, Congress enacted the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, which provides support for
shelters and Transitional Living Programs (TLP's)," which help homeless youth with numerous aspects of
living like, "temporary housing, counseling, crisis intervention, and aftercare and outreach," (1997). The rules
and requirements for these shelters and programs limit the number for shelter occupants to twenty beds
allowing only youth 12 to 17 to stay to period of fifteen days and "their primary focus is on reuniting runaway
and homeless youth with their families" (Greene, 1997). Youth and young adults by the ages of 16 to 21 though,
can receive help from the TLP's, for a time period of eighteen months with a maximum occupancy of twenty.
TLP's are generally for those who cannot be reunited with family. Federal and government agencies are not the
only kind of help being given to the troubled youth, privately funded shelters and programs are also set up by
religious and non profit organizations. One of the greatest problems these shelters and programs face though
is how to send these people off with a better footing in the world. Yes, it is nice for the youth to momentarily be
off the streets and safe, but that is just it, momentarily not permanently. One of the biggest things these
programs can start to offer is job training of some sort because, seventy-eight percent of homeless youth out of
four hundred and forty-four reported, "they found it difficult or impossible to find a good job. Seventy-eight said
they were unemployed when they entered the shelter. Among those who had jobs, forty-one percent said those
jobs were off the books," (Policy and practice of Public Human Services, 2009). The same article that
information came from earlier stated that homeless youths future, “…did not look much better because they are
dangerously isolated from mainstream channels of work, family life, and basic schooling.” So if the current
system of shelters and programs meant to help enhance the quality of life for these suffering teens and young
adults are not then we are still behind in improving the future outcome of our nation and decreasing the overall
rate of homelessness.

That's about 2-3 1/2 pages already...

My mom let me stay home today 'cuz my sister and brother got to yesterday! Yay, gave me more time to finish my research paper...

So Aida was great? Awesome.

Recycling Club tomorrow!!! Don't Forget!!!

Oh! And another thing I want to do before I die...

Learn to snowboard!

After watching Shawn White literally kick EVERYONE'S ass yesterday in the Olympics I am truly inspired!!!!

Well, gotta run!

Bub-Bye!!!