Whereas the prevalence of runaway and homeless youth in
the United States is staggering, with studies suggesting that between 1,600,000
and 2,800,000 young people live on the streets of the United States each
year;
Whereas running away from home is widespread, with 1 out
of every 7 children in the United States running away before the age of
18;
Whereas 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, and 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;
Whereas effective programs supporting runaway youth and
assisting young people in remaining at home with their families succeed because
of partnerships created among families, community-based human service agencies,
law enforcement agencies, schools, faith-based organizations, and
businesses;
Whereas preventing young people from running away and
supporting youth in high-risk situations is a family, community, and national
responsibility;
Whereas 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;
Whereas the National Network for Youth and its members
advocate on behalf of runaway and homeless youth and provide an array of
community-based support services that address the critical needs of such
youth;
Whereas the National Runaway Switchboard provides crisis
intervention and referrals to reconnect runaway youth to their families and to
link young people to local resources that provide positive alternatives to
running away; and
Whereas the National Network for Youth and the National
Runaway Switchboard are co-sponsoring 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: Now, therefore,
be it
That the Senate designates November
2004 as National Runaway Prevention Month
.