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42 U.S.C. § 5701

Section 5701 · Findings

Current version, with additions and removals from the November 4, 1992 version.

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Current — October 8, 2008
As of November 4, 1992
The Congress hereby finds that—
The Congress finds that—
(1) juveniles who have become homeless or who leave and remain away from home without parental permission, are at risk of developing serious health and other problems because they lack sufficient resources to obtain care and may live on the street for extended periods thereby endangering themselves and creating a substantial law enforcement problem for communities in which they congregate;
(1) youth who have become homeless or who leave and remain away from home without parental permission, are at risk of developing, and have a disproportionate share of, serious health, behavioral, and emotional problems because they lack sufficient resources to obtain care and may live on the street for extended periods thereby endangering themselves and creating a substantial law enforcement problem for communities in which they congregate;

(2) the exact nature of the problem is not well defined because national statistics on the size and profile of the runaway youth population are not tabulated;

(3) many such young people, because of their age and situation, are urgently in need of temporary shelter and counseling services;
(2) many such young people, because of their age and situation, are urgently in need of temporary shelter and services, including services that are linguistically appropriate and acknowledge the environment of youth seeking these services;

(4) the problem of locating, detaining, and returning runaway children should not be the responsibility of already overburdened police departments and juvenile justice authorities;

(3) services to such young people should be developed and provided using a positive youth development approach that ensures a young person a sense of—

(A) safety and structure;

(B) belonging and membership;

(C) self-worth and social contribution;

(D) independence and control over one's life; and

(E) closeness in interpersonal relationships.1

(5) in view of the interstate nature of the problem, it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to develop accurate reporting of the problem nationally and to develop an effective system of care (including preventive services, emergency shelter services, and extended residential shelter) outside the welfare system and the law enforcement system;
(4) in view of the interstate nature of the problem, it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to develop an accurate national reporting system to report the problem, and to assist in the development of an effective system of care (including preventive and aftercare services, emergency shelter services, extended residential shelter, and street outreach services) outside the welfare system and the law enforcement system;

(6) runaway and homeless youth have a disproportionate share of health, behavioral, and emotional problems compared to the general population of youth, but have less access to health care and other appropriate services and therefore may need access to longer periods of residential care, more intensive aftercare service, and other assistance;

(7) to make a successful transition to adulthood, runaway youth, homeless youth, and other street youth need opportunities to complete high school or earn a general equivalency degree, learn job skills, and obtain employment;
(5) to make a successful transition to adulthood, runaway youth, homeless youth, and other street youth need opportunities to complete high school or earn a general equivalency degree, learn job skills, and obtain employment; and

(8) in view of the interstate nature of the problem, it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to develop an accurate national reporting system and to develop an effective system of care including prevention, emergency shelter services, and longer residential care outside the public welfare and law enforcement structures;

(9) early intervention services (such as home-based services) are needed to prevent runaway and homeless youth from becoming involved in the juvenile justice system and other law enforcement systems; and

(10) street-based services that target runaway and homeless youth where they congregate are needed to reach youth who require assistance but who would not otherwise avail themselves of such assistance or services without street-based outreach.

(6) improved coordination and collaboration between the Federal programs that serve runaway and homeless youth are necessary for the development of a long-term strategy for responding to the needs of this population.

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