TAG in Action: A Place 4 Me

As part of its national call to action, Adolescent Health: Think, Act, Grow® (TAG), the Office 

of Adolescent Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has identified a 

number of successful strategies for improving adolescent health throughout the country.

The Goal The A Place 4 Me initiative is working to prevent and end homelessness among youth and 

young adults (ages 15 to 24), with special emphasis on youth leaving foster care without the 

material and emotional support of a family.

The Game 

Plan

A Place 4 Me – named and inspired by youth – is a public-private collaboration devoted to 

supporting youth experiencing homelessness and housing instability throughout Cuyahoga 

County, Ohio. A steering committee guides A Place 4 Me, with the YWCA of Greater 

Cleveland as the lead organization and more than 30 partners including the Sisters of Charity 

Foundation of Cleveland, the Cuyahoga County Office of Homeless Services, the Cuyahoga 

County Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS), and the national Jim Casey Youth 

Opportunities Initiative.

To begin the effort, the Sisters of Charity Foundation brought together diverse partners –

especially young adults who had experienced homelessness – to envision an ideal system of 

supports for homeless and unstably housed youth. Working from their vision, partners spent 

ten months developing a comprehensive plan to address youth homelessness. The approach 

includes a focus on youth leaving the foster care system, a subpopulation that is particularly 

vulnerable for housing instability. A Place 4 Me utilizes two national models: the Jim Casey 

Youth Opportunities Initiative’s that focuses on child welfare reform; and the U.S. 

Interagency Council on Homelessness’, which works to improve homeless services. Both 

frameworks seek the same outcomes for youth: stable housing; permanent connections; 

education and employment; and social, emotional and physical well-being.

The 

Winning 

Plays

In 2016, A Place 4 Me was selected to participate in A Way Home America’s 100-Day 

Challenge and set an ambitious goal to house 100 homeless youth in 100 days. In the end, A 

Place 4 Me housed 105 youth in 100 days. The effort did not stop and, to date, has housed 

170 young people. Kate Lodge, Project Director, shares her thoughts on why they have been 

successful: “We met the challenge because, with the Sisters of Charity Foundation’s support, 

we had already sat side-by-side with young people, dreamed big and then created a realistic 

plan. We had also brought the right partners to the table. As a result, DCFS was able to 

create a firewall, ensuring that every youth that left foster care had a rock-solid housing plan. 

But most importantly, we’ve always understood the importance of relationships. Rather than 

just focusing on housing, we work very hard to reconnect youth with their family and friends. 

In the end, that’s how they find a stable place to live and also a place to dream.”

Learn 

More

A Place 4 Me

www.ywcaofcleveland.org/aplace4me

HHS Office of Adolescent Health | Website: http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/TAG Twitter: @TeenHealthGov Email: TAGTEAM@hhs.gov