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Addressing Oregon’s Runaway and Homeless Youth

Addressing Oregon’s Runaway and Homeless Youth. Oregon Runaway and Homeless Youth Work Group . November 16, 2004. Charge of the Work Group. Study the issues affecting Oregon’s homeless youth Report and make recommendations to the Joint Interim Committee on Human Services.

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Addressing Oregon’s Runaway and Homeless Youth

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  1. Addressing Oregon’s Runaway and Homeless Youth Oregon Runaway and Homeless Youth Work Group November 16, 2004

  2. Charge of the Work Group • Study the issues affecting Oregon’s homeless youth • Report and make recommendations to the Joint Interim Committee on Human Services

  3. Findings: Who are Oregon’s runaway and homeless youth? • Most age 15 – 16 • Slightly more females than males • Majority Caucasian; minorities, primarily Native American and Hispanic • 26% are dropouts

  4. Findings: How many homeless? • Difficult to estimate since Oregon lacks coordinated data collection • Most recent estimate is nearly 24,000 • Many more are homeless with their parents

  5. Findings: How many runaway? • Runaways are dependency status offenders • Logged when parents or guardians report • LEDS: more than 10,000 reports of runaways in 2003 • OYA: 2,359 youth processed by the juvenile system and 6,817 referrals received by county juvenile departments in 2003

  6. Findings: Why are they homeless? • Family dysfunction, e.g. family violence, abuse and neglect, poor parenting • Economic problems, e.g. lack of affordable housing, employment or insurance • Residential instability (when discharged from residential placement without income or housing)

  7. Findings: What happens to youth who are homeless? • Shelter staff report health and behavior problems, e.g. substance abuse, mental health, disabilities • Homelessness has adverse affect on youth development • At-risk for criminal behavior or as victims

  8. Findings: Why aren’t parents accountable? • Families have numerous problems: violence, abuse or neglect, substance abuse, mental illness, disabilities, poor parenting skills, unemployment, incarceration, or homelessness • Communities have few options to hold families accountable or deal with parents who do not provide care for their children

  9. Findings: Gaps in Current Services • Federal programs in just 7 counties • Few services for prevention • Barriers: access, affordability, lack or coordination • Parents resort to filing charges to access services

  10. Recommendations 1. Designate the Oregon Commission on Children and Families (OCCF) responsible for statewide planning of services to homeless youth and their families • Runaway/Homeless Coordinator position • Runaway/Homeless Subcommittee

  11. Recommendations 2. Families of runaway and homeless youth need support to be held accountable to address critical problems • Assess needs • Identify state laws to be enforced • Examine new strategies

  12. Recommendations 3. Identify models of culturally competent, gender-specific, evidence-based service delivery for runaways, their families and homeless youth in urban and rural demonstration sites

  13. Recommendations 4. A dedicated funding stream should be allocated to adequately and appropriately serve runaways, their families, and homeless youth

  14. Next Steps • Endorse Work Group recommendations • Support the legislative concept

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