[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 26, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H2325-H2327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING AND SUPPORTING GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL RUNAWAY 
                            PREVENTION MONTH

  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 57) recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals 
of ``National Runaway Prevention Month''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H. Res. 57

       Whereas the prevalence of runaway and homeless situations 
     among youth is staggering, with studies suggesting that 
     between 1,300,000 and 2,800,000 youth live on the streets of 
     the United States each year;
       Whereas running away from home is widespread, with 1 out of 
     every 7 youth in the United States running away from home 
     before the age of 18;
       Whereas runaway youth most often are youth who have been 
     expelled from their homes by their families, physically, 
     sexually, and emotionally abused at home, discharged by State 
     custodial systems without adequate transition plans, 
     separated from their parents through death and divorce, too 
     poor to secure their own basic needs, and ineligible or 
     unable to access adequate medical or mental health resources;
       Whereas effective programs supporting runaway youth and 
     assisting youth and their families in remaining at home 
     succeed because of partnerships created among families, 
     community-based human service agencies, law enforcement 
     agencies, schools, faith-based organizations, and businesses;
       Whereas preventing youth from running away from home and 
     supporting youth in high-risk situations is a family, 
     community, and national priority;
       Whereas the future well-being of the Nation is dependent on 
     the opportunities provided for youth and families to acquire 
     the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for youth 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 supports that address their 
     critical needs;
       Whereas the National Runaway Switchboard provides crisis 
     intervention and referrals to reconnect runaway youth to 
     their families and to link youth to local resources that 
     provide positive alternatives to running away from home; and
       Whereas the National Network for Youth and National Runaway 
     Switchboard are co-sponsoring National Runaway Prevention 
     Month, during the month of November, 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
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes and 
     supports the goals and ideals of ``National Runaway 
     Prevention Month''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan).


                             General Leave

  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on H. Res. 57.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 57, introduced by my distinguished 
colleague, the gentleman from the City of New York (Mr. Israel), 
recognizes and supports the goals and ideas of National Runaway 
Prevention Month.
  Mr. Speaker, we all want every child in America to grow up in a safe, 
loving home and to realize his or her full potential in life. However, 
the plight of children who run away from their homes continues to 
plague American families. Sadly, the factors that prove to increase the 
chances that children will leave their homes seem so preventable. These 
factors include drug and alcohol abuse by a family member, severe 
neglect or mistreatment, and serious family unrest. I remember hearing 
after one of the school shootings a couple of years ago the national 
head of the YMCA on the CBS national news who said children were being 
neglected in this country like never before.
  Even in this compassionate Nation, the challenges that today's youth 
face are many. But so too are the responsibilities that all Americans 
have to be aware of the conditions that encourage children to run away 
from home, and to address those conditions where they exist.
  Hopefully, all Americans will pay more attention to the serious 
problem of runaway children. We can each act to enrich the lives of 
children in our communities by volunteering at a local school, or in a 
child-mentoring program, or in a faith-based organization that works 
with children or families. And in the most unfortunate cases in which 
children have left their homes, for whatever reason, it must be a 
priority of all Americans to work together to reunite parents with 
their runaway children.
  Since nothing is more important than the safety and stability of the 
lives of our Nation's children, I urge all Members to support the 
adoption of House Resolution 57.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel) for 
introducing this worthwhile measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1200

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of H. Res. 57, a bill 
recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of National Runaway 
Prevention Month, and I commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Israel) for its introduction.
  Each year, more than 1 million teenagers run away in the United 
States, a rate of more than 1 every minute. Many of these young people 
leave their homes to escape abuse and neglect or because their parents 
could not or would not meet their basic needs for food, shelter, and a 
safe, supportive home environment.
  While on the streets, America's children are vulnerable and may be 
exploited by drug dealers or become victims of crime or violence.
  To survive, runaways may resort to shoplifting or prostitution to 
earn money for food and clothing. Medical conditions may go untreated 
or become aggravated by neglect, and those who drop out of school 
threaten their chances for economic independence.
  The National Runaway Switchboard, which was founded by a group of 
Chicago agencies in 1971, gives help and hope to youth and their 
families by providing nonjudgmental, confidential crisis intervention 
and local and national referrals through a 24-hour hotline. The NRS, 
along with the National Network for Youth, are cosponsoring National 
Runaway Prevention Month during the month of November to increase 
awareness of the life circumstances of youths in high-risk situations 
and the need for a safe haven for these youths.
  I also want to commend the Chicago public school system, the Chicago 
Board of Education for the work that it does of providing education for 
homeless children without their having to go through lots of changes in 
terms of identification of where they are and where they come from. 
This resolution supports NRS and NN4Y in their efforts to create 
National Runaway Prevention Month. I urge my colleagues to support H. 
Res. 57 and the runaway children it will help.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert).

[[Page H2326]]

  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. 
Duncan) for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleague, the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Israel) in strong support of a resolution recognizing the 
goals and ideals of Runaway Youth Prevention Month, which is being 
sponsored by the National Network For Youth and the National Runaway 
Switchboard.
  Within the last year, a number of highly publicized child abductions 
focused the attention of Americans on the plight of exploited and 
abducted children and the pain and agony suffered by the families left 
behind. Recognizing the serious threat that faces our children every 
day as they travel to and from school and play with friends in parks 
and neighborhoods, President Bush, in October of last year, convened a 
conference on missing, exploited, and runaway children. Again, the main 
focus was on abducted and exploited children, and rightly so. One child 
abduction is one too many.
  But let us put the problem of child abductions into perspective. Five 
times as many children run away as are abducted in this country, and 
one runaway child is also one too many. There are approximately 1.3 
million young Americans on the street every day as a result of running 
away and/or homelessness. One in seven children between the ages of 10 
and 18 will run away. Some will return within a few days, while others 
will remain on the streets and never return. And each year, assault, 
illness, or suicide will take the lives of 5,000 runaway youth. That is 
5,000 too many.
  There are many reasons why children run away from home. Some are 
expelled from their homes by their families or separated from their 
parents because of death or divorce. As much as violence is involved in 
the abduction of a child, so too does physical, sexual, and emotional 
abuse at home often cause a child to run away. Having run away, these 
youth are now homeless, too poor to secure their own basic needs and 
often ineligible or unable to access medical or mental health 
resources.
  Many runaway youth also have difficulty obtaining an education 
because they are homeless. Being a runaway or being without a home 
should not mean being without an education. Yet that is what 
homelessness means for far too many of our poor and runaway children 
and youth today.
  Congress recognized the importance of educating homeless and runaway 
youth when it enacted in 1987 the McKinney Education program. But 
despite the progress made over the past decade, we know that homeless 
children continue to miss out on what is often the only source of 
stability and promise in their lives: school attendance.
  That is why in the 107th Congress I introduced the McKinney-Vento 
Homeless Education Act, which was included in the No Child Left Behind 
Act that became law at the beginning of 2002.
  By incorporating the innovative provisions contained in the 
legislation, the No Child Left Behind Act strengthened the McKinney 
program, ensuring that homeless or runaway children are immediately 
enrolled in school when they desire an education. That means no red 
tape, no waiting for paperwork, and no bureaucratic delays. A school 
liaison helps runaway or homeless youth make certain decisions about 
their education and, upon enrollment, ensures that they have access to 
the special assistance and services available to runaway and homeless 
youth.
  This is only one small way in which more is being done to help 
children who are runaways or who are homeless. There are many others, 
individuals and organizations, who are doing whatever they can to 
assist America's runaway youth by providing food, shelter, clothing, 
and counseling. Others are working with families to prevent a child 
from running away in the first place, and still others are intervening 
and advocating on behalf of children and giving them options other than 
running away.
  One such organization is the National Runaway Switchboard, which 
provides crisis intervention and referrals to reconnect runaway youth 
with their families and to link young people to local resources that 
provide positive alternatives to running. I am compelled to call to the 
attention of my colleagues, just as the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Davis) did, this important resource because it originated in Chicago.
  Founded by a group of Chicago agencies, the National Runaway 
Switchboard was established in 1971 to provide comprehensive crisis 
intervention services for young people in the Chicago area. It was 
conceived as a centralized organization with free, 24-hour services, 
expertise in all youth-related issues, and as an information 
clearinghouse.
  In 1974, it became a national resource and now is the federally 
designated national communication system for runaway and homeless 
youth. The Switchboard is still available 24 hours a day and fields 
more than 100,000 calls each year from the Nation's runaway and 
homeless youth; and through a partnership with Greyhound, the National 
Runaway Switchboard reunited approximately 1,000 families each year.
  The National Runaway Switchboard, the National Network for Youth, an 
organization that my colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Israel), will highlight, I am sure, have designated November as 
National Runaway Prevention Month. The purpose of this month is to call 
attention to the problem, its causes and impacts, and all of those 
organizations and services that exist to help both runaways and their 
families.
  I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel) for 
introducing this resolution. It has been an honor and a privilege to 
work with him in the last Congress, and now in this Congress, to bring 
this issue to the forefront. It is fitting for Congress to endorse the 
goals and ideals of National Runaway Prevention Month and to highlight 
those organizations that work so hard to help the youth of America who 
have left or who are seriously considering leaving their homes for a 
dangerous and uncertain life on the street.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time 
as he may consume to the author of this resolution, the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Israel).
  Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time, and I also thank the distinguished gentlewomen from Illinois for 
her continued bipartisan leadership and compassion and concern on the 
issue of runaways.
  The gentlewoman and I introduced this bill in February, 2003.
  The National Network for Youth and the National Runaway Switchboard 
have designated November as National Runaway Prevention Month because 
many of the causes of runaways can be successfully addressed before the 
problem emerges. Unfortunately, many children do not realize that there 
are resources available to them, and they choose to run away because 
they think that there are no other options.
  During National Runaway Prevention Month, the National Network for 
Youth and the National Runaway Switchboard publicizes the realities 
that runaways face on our streets. During this month, parents are 
reminded to keep communication with their children open. During 
November, the two organizations will reinforce the message that setting 
aside regular time for planned family activities is just critical.
  These organizations also reach out to youth to educate them about how 
they can communicate more effectively with their parents. Young people 
can learn the techniques needed to adequately express their feelings. 
These organizations have the resources that can show youth that there 
are alternatives, which include counseling to address the unhappiness 
and a myriad of social services and youth groups.
  The two main goals of National Runaway Prevention Month are to 
increase awareness of issues facing runaways and to educate the public 
about their role in preventing youth from running away.
  Community programs in my district such as the Sanctuary Program in 
Huntington provide a safe haven for youth. They teach youth the value 
of trusted friends, family, adults, clergy, professionals. They teach 
teens how to listen, how to understand, and how to communicate.
  Some people run away because of physical or sexual abuse in their

[[Page H2327]]

homes. In these cases, youth should know that there are options. They 
do not have to run and live on the streets. They can make the abuse 
stop. They can get counseling, they can continue their education, they 
can remain fully contributing members of society. There are 
alternatives. We need to educate our youth as to where those 
alternatives are.
  That is what this bill helps do. The National Network for Youth and 
the National Runaway Switchboard use the month of November to publicize 
their efforts and educate people about those alternatives. National 
Runaway Prevention Month provides a vital service in informing both at-
risk youth and their parents that communication is essential. This 
resolution before us demonstrates that the House of Representatives 
recognizes the service that these organizations provide.
  I was very proud to introduce and cosponsor this resolution with the 
gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert), and I urge the House to join 
us in passing it today so that we may save families and save lives.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I would just again commend the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel) and the gentlewoman from Illinois 
(Mrs. Biggert) for the introduction of this resolution and the work 
that they have done on it. It is an important one.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I will simply close by saying that I would also like to commend the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel) and the gentlewoman from Illinois 
(Mrs. Biggert).
  The scope or magnitude of this problem is simply staggering. The 
gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) mentioned that there are 1.3 
million children on the streets, either because of running away or 
because of homelessness. Probably the most conservative study I have 
seen on this says there are a minimum of 450,000 children who run away 
from homes all across this Nation each year.
  As I mentioned in my opening statement, I was so amazed when I heard, 
as I was driving to the airport one afternoon here in Washington, I 
heard on the CBS National Radio News that the national head of the YMCA 
said children are being neglected in this country today like never 
before. Unfortunately, children have more material wealth today than 
probably ever before, but there are also many, many, many children who 
are growing up without the love or discipline that they had in past 
years or, perhaps because of broken homes or parents working long 
hours, they are not getting the attention that they need and deserve.
  I have said before that children today would be far better off with a 
few less toys and designer fashions and another brother or sister, or 
certainly more attention from their parents.
  So this resolution is a small, but important, step in trying to do 
something about a very serious national problem; and I urge my 
colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Stearns). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 57.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________