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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 484 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 484

                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                      October 25, 2005.
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 providers of services to runaway and homeless youth are experiencing 
        increased demand for services due to the displacement of youth and 
        families in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita;
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 2005 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.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
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