[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 27, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H7617-H7620]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[[Page H7617]]
SUPPORTING EFFORTS PROMOTING GREATER PUBLIC AWARENESS OF EFFECTIVE
RUNAWAY YOUTH PREVENTION PROGRAMS
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 1009) supporting efforts to promote greater
public awareness of effective runaway youth prevention programs and the
need for safe and productive alternatives, resources, and supports for
homeless youth and youth in other high-risk situations.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 1009
Whereas preventing young people from running away and
supporting homeless youth and youth in other high-risk
situations is a family, community, and national concern;
Whereas the prevalence of runaway and homeless youth in the
Nation 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 or in emergency
shelters are often those who have been thrown out of their
homes by their families; who have been physically, sexually,
or 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 the commemoration of National Runaway Prevention
Month will encourage all sectors of society to develop
community-based solutions to prevent runaway and homeless
episodes among the Nation's youth;
Whereas effective programs that support runaway and
homeless youth and assist young people 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 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 Congress supports an array of community-based
support services that address the critical needs of runaway
and homeless youth, including family strengthening, street
outreach, emergency shelter, and transitional living
programs;
Whereas Congress supports programs that provide crisis
intervention and referrals to reconnect runaway and homeless
youth to their families and to link young people to local
resources that provide positive alternatives to running away;
and
Whereas the purpose of National Runaway Prevention Month in
November 2006 is to increase public awareness of the life
circumstances of youth in high-risk situations and the need
for safe and productive alternatives, resources, and supports
for youth, their families, and their communities: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports
efforts to promote greater public awareness of effective
runaway youth prevention programs and the need for safe and
productive alternatives, resources, and supports for homeless
youth and youth in other high-risk situations.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska.
General Leave
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
on House Resolution 1009.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Nebraska?
There was no objection.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today in support of H. Res. 1009, which seeks to promote
greater public awareness of effective runaway youth prevention programs
and the need for safe and productive alternatives, resources, and
supports for youth in high-risk situations. I would like to thank the
leadership for allowing this resolution to come to the House floor, as
it highlights a very tragic and important issue.
Runaway episodes among our Nation's youth are serious and widespread,
with one of every seven children and youth in the United States running
away or being turned out of the home before the age of 18. That
constitutes roughly 15 to 17 percent of our young people. A recent
study by the Federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention estimates that nearly 1.7 million youth experienced a
runaway or thrown-away episode in a single year. The prevalence of
runaway and homeless youth in the Nation is astounding, with studies
suggesting that between 1.6 million and 2.8 million young people live
on the streets of the United States each year.
The primary factors of running away or being turned out of a home are
severe family conflict, abuse and neglect, and parental abuse of
alcohol and drugs.
And parenthetically I might add, Mr. Speaker, that I coached some
young men, one of whom I remember very vividly who was turned out of
his home at age 11 because the boyfriend who was living with that young
man's mother and the young guy couldn't get along; so the young guy
went and spent 2 or 3 years living on the streets. And that certainly
left an impression and scarring on that young man that I do not think
he ever completely overcame.
Many of the conditions that lead young people to leave or be turned
out of their homes are preventable through interventions that can
strengthen families and support youth in high-risk situations.
Successful interventions are grounded in partnerships among families,
community-based human service agencies, law enforcement agencies,
schools, faith-based organizations, and even businesses.
The National Network for Youth and the National Runaway Switchboard
have collaborated since 2002 in cosponsoring the National Runaway
Prevention Month during the month of November. National Runaway
Prevention Month is a public education initiative aimed at increasing
the awareness of issues facing runaways as well as making the public
aware of the role they play in preventing youth from running away. As a
result of this collaboration, communities across the country have
undertaken a range of activities to commemorate National Runaway
Prevention Month.
Preventing young people from running away and supporting youth in
high-risk situations is a family, community, and national concern.
Please join us in encouraging all Americans to play a role in
supporting the millions of young people who have run away and who are
at risk of doing so each year. H. Res. 1009 supports efforts to promote
greater public awareness of effective runaway youth prevention programs
and the need for safe and productive alternatives, resources, and
supports for youth in high-risk situations.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with my colleague from Nebraska,
one of the most effective, if I might say, advocates for young people
that I know anywhere in this country.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague Mr. Osborne for bringing H.
Res. 1009 to the floor today, and I join him in support of this
resolution that promotes the need for greater public awareness of
effective runaway youth prevention programs and the increasing need for
safe and productive alternatives, resources, and supports for youth in
high-risk situations.
Mr. Speaker, this resolution points to an issue that is of great
concern to me: young people who have been pushed aside and thrown away,
oftentimes by their parents and sometimes by all of society.
The youth who come to these programs represent what some call a lost
generation, a generation that holds so much promise and yet sees so few
opportunities. When a young person comes to these programs, they often
do so out of a need for security, shelter, and comfort that they cannot
find at home. And these programs provide that comfort. They provide
basic life skills training, job preparation and placement, health
referrals and services.
Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, each year the need for these programs
grows. The basic housing needs of our Nation's most vulnerable youth,
those experiencing homelessness, are not being met. And continued
shortfalls in funding for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act have
increased this need.
Nearly 150,000 young people are served at basic centers and through
[[Page H7618]]
transitional living programs. Yet as this resolution points out, many
more runaways and homeless youth find themselves without these critical
community services. It is appropriate that today we take time out to
promote greater public awareness of the needs of these young people and
the services that are available to them in the community.
In particular, I want to applaud the hard work of the front line
workers who are on the ground working with runaway and homeless youth
every day. For many young people, these workers represent the only
responsible and caring adults they will have contact with during their
time on the streets. Many of these workers are volunteers who make
themselves available 24 hours a day. They venture into dangerous
situations, providing a lifeline to these young people, and they should
be acknowledged for their efforts.
I am mindful of one organization in my neighborhood, the Night
Ministry, that has developed probably one of the most effective
programs of this type in the country, where not only have they provided
a program with adequate shelter, but they have what I call state-of-
the-art housing. You can see them at night during the cold winter,
driving along the streets, getting out, oftentimes interceding and
picking up young people, questioning them about why they are there. And
those who know Chicago know that it gets awfully cold during the winter
months. So I applaud the Night Ministry.
I thank Mr. Porter for introducing this resolution, and certainly I
commend Mr. Osborne for his tremendous work on behalf of young people.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest).
Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I
want to thank Mr. Porter for the legislation; Mr. Osborne, Mr. Davis,
and the staff for bringing this to the floor and for bringing it to the
attention of the Members; and, Mr. Speaker, to the general public at
large.
The community service for youth across this great Nation is, I think,
for the most part, doing one of the best jobs it can for the youth of
America who are homeless, who each day, instead of a bright, sunlit
opportunity, they find despair, and they do not know what hope is. They
do not know what joy is. But they probably know what a prison cell
looks like at a very young age.
What this legislation does, and what we all should continue to
pursue, is dedicate our words to the front line of service that Mr.
Davis was talking about and Mr. Osborne has mentioned, those people who
are mostly volunteers that provide the shelter, provide the hope,
provide the work for these people who are homeless.
And what we hope this resolution will do, and what we should continue
to work towards, is to create a better framework for homeless youth,
that more people will get involved. The community service, the front
line service, can be expanded to an immense pool of people that will
spend just a very small amount of their time on a weekly or monthly
basis if they go out into their community and find out where a homeless
shelter is and then visit that homeless shelter and talk to those youth
and give them hope and give them opportunity and let them know that
someone cares about them. Create a Boy Scout troop for juvenile
delinquents. Create a Boy Scout troop or a Girl Scout troop for people
who are homeless, who are living in homeless shelters.
Almost 40 years ago, my brothers and a couple other people who had
not gone to college, we all got out of the service. We had just gotten
out of Vietnam, and we got involved with a minister and a lawyer that
created a Boy Scout troop for people who committed felonies. We created
a Boy Scout troop for juvenile delinquents. And the way to get in that
Boy Scout troop was that you had to have committed a felony or you had
to be homeless or one of those categories. And it transformed their
lives.
This Sunday in my district, we are going to have a picnic for 30
homeless children and, if they come, their parents. And what we are
going to do is we are going to walk through the woods, we are going to
feel the cool shade of the forest, and we are going to identify trees
and we are going to talk about nature's design. Then we are going to
take them on a short canoe ride and walk them on the beaches of the
Sassafras River. But we are going to show them that in their dreary,
hopeless life, there are magnificent opportunities.
The people on the front line need help. There is a massive amount of
opportunity out there for people to see something that they don't see
every day, to find out where a homeless shelter is in your community,
and then go and talk to the people who service those homeless shelters,
talk to the people who fund those homeless shelters, and talk to the
people who are in those homeless shelters and provide them with
dignity, respect, hope, and opportunity. It is a matter of initiative,
ingenuity, courage, and compassion. And it can all be done.
And I want to thank Mr. Osborne, Mr. Davis, and Mr. Porter and his
staff for this great resolution.
{time} 2115
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, what an honor to be able to
join my colleagues this evening and to again thank the distinguished
gentleman from Illinois for using the terminology: There are no
throwaways.
Let me thank the manager Member, Mr. Osborne, for his leadership; Mr.
Gilchrest, delighted to have a good Speaker in the Chair from Texas.
I rise today because I believe that this is an important statement
that is being made today on the floor of the House. I do want to
capture those words again that our young people are not throw, there
are no throwaways. I say it very often as I go to schools or interact
with young people that we meet in our congressional districts and
really around the Nation.
I spent some time with Covenant House and spent some time on the
streets as they invited me in one of their night outs to be able to
interact with homeless youth, to hear their stories, to hear their
feeling about, in essence, being thrown away or thrown out.
I do not think most Americans dwell on the fact that there are some
1.6 million to 2.8 million homeless young people. That means that they
have barely a place to be more than one night. And there are these good
Samaritans, these people who hold vigils on the streets of America,
trying to protect our young people.
It was a shocking experience as I stood on a cold night in Houston,
Texas, gets a little cold there sometimes in the wintertime, as we
gathered under a streetlight. The word had gone out that Covenant House
was out and about, that you could come and hear a little music, get a
little food and talk, to hear some of the stories of these young people
who had either been sexually abused or who had been emotionally abused
or had been physically abused, to hear them tell stories of guardians
or parents who themselves were addicted and other problems that were
associated with the household, and there was no comfort.
So I find that this resolution should do a number of things. As my
colleagues have said, it should reemphasize and thank those who are out
with our young people, the various ministries, the Boys and Girls Club,
the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, but, as well, the agencies that go out
during the night to find these young people.
But, again, it should say that we are not doing enough. And we should
also say that there are role models, that there is something to live
for, and that we should not be ashamed of trying to enhance the funding
to provide transitional pathways for young people to transition into
adulthood, provide them with interim housing as they move from 17, 18,
19, which causes them to be homeless.
Because one of the major problems is what we call ``aging out'' in
foster care, where you have gotten to a certain age at 18, 17, 18 in
some States. And many of us who have young people in our homes, we
raised our children, they are in their 20s, and you are taking care of
them. So you age out in a foster care system, and you have no place to
go, and you have been in foster care for 10, 15 years, or 10 years or 5
years.
[[Page H7619]]
We see this as a prevalent situation that leads to disaster. This may
be indirect, but I want young people to understand that they are
important.
I raise this picture of this beautiful young lady on the front page
of the Washington Post today by the name of Emily J.T. Perez. The
headline reads, West Point Mourns a Font of Energy, Laid to Rest By
War.
The story is about a young woman who, unfortunately, lost her life on
the front lines of Iraq. But the story describes an outstanding,
energetic, committed patriot and the first African American woman
sergeant at West Point. She was a young person. She lost her life. But
she certainly represents the best of our youth.
In the midst of homeless youth, there are those who are the best. And
this resolution, I think, focuses our attention on providing more
resources so that we can ensure that the young people, homeless that
they may be, will not have despair but will have a future and will be
affirmed by this Nation that they can contribute.
I rise in support of this legislation, but I ask my colleagues as
this session wanes down, let us commit ourselves, if we are fortunate
enough to be reelected by our constituents, to come back and fund
opportunities for providing for homeless youth, to give them a future.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to thank the
gentlewoman from Texas for her statement and for the energy that she
puts into everything that she does.
I also want to again commend Mr. Porter for introducing this
resolution and thank Mr. Osborne and say that, when he is not here, I
am going to miss him tremendously, because he is a real advocate for
young people, and I have never seen anyone do it more effectively or do
it better.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. OSBORNE. I thank the gentleman. We share a strong interest in
young people, and we are often together on bills. And I would like to
thank Mr. Davis for all that he does. I would also like to thank Mr.
Porter for authoring this resolution.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.
Res. 1009, a bill supporting efforts to promote greater public
awareness of effective runaway youth prevention programs and the need
for safe and productive alternatives, resources, and support for
homeless youth and youth in other high-risk situations.
As the Chairwoman of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I am
integrally involved in the efforts of Congress to help protect and look
after the children of this Nation, and to ensure that they have an
equal opportunity to learn, to grow, to achieve, and most importantly,
to dream.
Youth that end up on the streets or in emergency shelters are often
those who have been thrown out of their homes by their families. These
youth are also, tragically, more likely to have been physically,
sexually, or emotionally abused at home. It is also common for these
youth to have been discharged by State custodial systems without
adequate transition plans. Many have lost their parents through death
or divorce, and many are too poor to secure their own basic needs. It
is clear that this situation is a family, community, and national
concern.
The prevalence of runaway and homeless youth in the Nation is an
epidemic. Studies suggest that between 1,600,000 and 2,800,000 young
people live on the streets of the United States each year. Running away
from home occurs across the country. A staggering 1 out of every 7
children in the United States running away before the age of 18.
The future well-being of the Nation is dependent upon how we value
our young people. The opportunities we provide for our youth to attain
the ability and the knowledge needed to develop into safe, healthy, and
productive adults.
When it comes to our young people--all of our young people--including
our runaway, throwaway and homeless youth--we must always be willing to
stand up, to speak up, and to never give up.
I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res.
1009, a resolution to promote greater awareness of effective runaway
youth prevention programs. This legislation, introduced by my friend
from Nevada, Mr. Porter, is a step in the right direction towards
reducing the number of our youth that separate from their families in
times of distress and discouragement. Raising awareness of concerns of
the disadvantaged in our communities and bringing issues to the
attention of lawmakers and the general public is often the catalyst for
action.
The number of young people who currently live on the streets is
alarming. Without any family or community support, these youth fall
through the cracks of society. It is critical for our young people, who
are the future of our country, to be afforded the best possible
opportunities in order to succeed and become balanced, well-informed
citizens.
On Guam, there are a number of community-based youth organizations
that provide structured counseling for at-risk youth and their loved
ones. One such program under the Department of Youth Affairs (DYA),
Jumpstart, works to strengthen family ties with the goal of integrating
troubled teens back into their homes. Sanctuary is another longstanding
and effective nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing Guam's at-
risk youth. In addition to counseling, these organizations work
preventatively, targeting and providing education about drug-use,
physical and mental abuse, and violence. Another program, the Youth At-
Risk Life Skills Training Program, is affiliated with the 4-H Club and
the University of Guam's College of Natural and Applied Sciences
(CNAS). This program focuses on education paired with life skills such
as peer mentorship and environmental sciences.
I take this opportunity today to commend the efforts of organizations
such as these that take action in their communities, often working from
the grassroots. The success of these organizations depends on the
dedication of the people who run the programs and, as a result of their
conviction and hard work, troubled teens and their families have a
network of support and hope for a better future.
These are the individuals and organizations for which H. Res. 1009
seeks to bring recognition upon, and it is their work this resolution
seeks to support. I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Res. 1009.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in
strong support of runaway youth prevention programs.
Children are our greatest resource, and positive investment in our
children is essential for America's future.
We are facing a potential crisis in America. There are nearly 20
million American teenagers that are at serious risk of not achieving a
positive adulthood.
For our Nation's homeless youth, this path towards positive adulthood
is even more challenging.
It is estimated that each year there are 1.5 million runaway and
homeless youth in the United States. Last year, in Dallas County we saw
about 9 thousand children ran away from home.
We cannot simply forget these children. They need a life-line, a
place to stay, and the tools to have a bright future.
The Promise House Emergency Shelter and Street Outreach Programs are
exceptional programs that are vital to Dallas.
Promise House offers invaluable services for runaway and homeless
youth.
I have seen first-hand the outstanding contributions Promise House
has made to the Dallas Community.
Promise House not only gives these young people a safe place to stay,
but it gives them a life-line, and a chance to change their outlook and
situation.
I would like to commend the staff of Promise House, Dr. Harriet
Boorhem, and the many volunteers for the extraordinary service they
provide to the Dallas community.
I would also like to thank Mr. Porter for offering this Resolution.
Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1009
which seeks to promote greater public awareness of effective runaway
youth prevention programs and the need for safe and productive
alternatives, resources and supports for youth in high-risk situations.
I would like to thank the leadership for allowing this resolution to
come to the House floor as it highlights a very tragic and important
issue.
Runaway episodes among our Nation's youth are serious and widespread,
with one out of every seven children and youth in the United States
running away or being turned out of the home before the age of 18. A
recent study by the Federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention estimates that nearly 1.7 million youth experienced a
runaway or thrown away episode in a single year. The prevalence of
runaway and homeless youth in the Nation is astounding; with studies
suggesting that between 1.6 million and 2.8 million young people live
on the streets of the United States each year. The primary factors of
running away or being turned out of a home are severe family conflict,
abuse and neglect, and parental abuse of alcohol and drugs.
In the district that I represent in southern Nevada, the statistics
are similar. In the year 2003, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police
Department reported 4,527 runaways. There were approximately 3,500
children who required emergency shelter. Eighteen hundred of these
children were placed in foster care. In
[[Page H7620]]
addition to that, the Clark County School District estimates that 3,500
of our students were homeless. These astonishing statistics highlight
the need for our support of those important programs that seek to
prevent these types of incidents.
Many of the conditions that lead young people to leave or be turned
out of their homes are preventable through interventions that can
strengthen families and support youth in high-risk situations.
Successful interventions are grounded in partnerships among families,
community-based human service agencies, law enforcement agencies,
schools, faith-based organizations and businesses.
The National Network for Youth and the National Runaway Switchboard
have collaborated since 2002 in cosponsoring National Runaway
Prevention Month during the month of November. National Runaway
Prevention Month is a public education initiative aimed at increasing
the awareness of issues facing runaways as well as making the public
aware of the role they play in preventing youth from running away. As a
result of this collaboration, communities across the country have
undertaken a range of activities to commemorate National Runaway
Prevention Month.
Preventing young people from running away and supporting youth in
high-risk situations is a family, community and national concern.
Please join us in encouraging all Americans to play a role in
supporting the millions of young people who have run away and who are
at risk of doing so each year. H. Res. 1009 supports efforts to promote
greater public awareness of effective runaway youth prevention programs
and the need for safe and productive alternatives, resources and
supports for youth in high-risk situations.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1009,
a resolution to support greater public awareness of effective runaway
youth prevention programs. I would like to thank the gentleman from
Nevada, Mr. Porter, for bringing this forward. I am proud to be a
cosponsor.
November is National Runaway Prevention Month.
I am proud that this body, in a bipartisan manner, comes together
each year to commemorate this month and to urge our communities to get
involved in runaway prevention activities.
Runaway Prevention Month is a public education campaign spearheaded
by the National Runaway Switchboard (NRS) and the National Network for
Youth (NNY) to increase the awareness of the issues facing runaways,
and educate the public about the solutions and the role they can play
in preventing youth from running away.
It is a national tragedy that an estimated 1.6 to 2.8 million young
people live on the street each year. One out of seven children in the
United States runs away from home before the age of 18. The dangers
these young people face on the streets cannot be overstated.
In my home State of Texas, our runaway and youth crisis hotlines
offer crisis intervention, telephone counseling, and referrals to
troubled youth and families. A volunteer workforce of about 60 people
answer the phones.
Many callers face a variety of problems including family conflict,
delinquency, truancy, and abuse and neglect issues.
The program increases public awareness through television, radio,
billboards and other media efforts. Hotline telephone counselors
respond to about 40,000 calls annually.
These people are true heroes because they save lives.
The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act represents our national commitment
to protecting and improving the lives of our most at risk youth. Sadly,
funding for these programs has been eroded with the across-the-board
cuts we have been seeing in our appropriations bills over the past few
years.
I hope that this year, this Congress will commemorate Runaway
Prevention Month by increasing the resources available to keep our
young people safe, healthy, and off the streets.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1009.
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.
____________________