III 110th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 693 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 27 (legislative day, September 17), 2008 Mr. Lautenberg (for himself, Mr. Martinez, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Levin, Mr. Brown, Mr. Salazar, Mr. Obama, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Casey, and Mr. Bayh) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Recognizing the month of November 2008 as National Homeless Youth Awareness Month.

Whereas between 1,600,000 and 2,800,000 children and teens are homeless in the United States each year, with many staying on the streets or in emergency shelters; Whereas families with children are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population and now make up approximately 1/3 of that population; Whereas many homeless youth experience isolation and trauma while residing on the streets or in precarious housing situations and may eventually develop depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder; Whereas homeless youth are typically too poor to secure basic needs and are unable to access adequate medical or mental health care; Whereas many youth become homeless due to a lack of financial and housing resources as they exit juvenile corrections and foster care; Whereas 12 to 36 percent of foster youth experience homelessness at least once after exiting foster care; Whereas homeless youth are most often expelled from their homes by their guardians after physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or separated from their parents through death or divorce without adequate resources; and Whereas awareness of the tragedy of youth homelessness and its causes must be heightened so that greater support for effective programs involving businesses, families, law enforcement agencies, schools, and community and faith-based organizations, aimed at helping youth remain off the streets becomes a national priority: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)supports the values and efforts of businesses, organizations, and volunteers dedicated to meeting the needs of homeless children and teens; (2)applauds the initiatives of businesses, organizations, and volunteers that employ time and resources to build awareness of the homeless youth problem, its causes, and potential solutions, and work to prevent homelessness among children and teens; and (3)should recognize the month of November 2008 as National Homeless Youth Awareness Month and encourages these businesses, organizations, and volunteers to continue to intensify their efforts during the month of November.