IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 484 

Supporting efforts to promote greater awareness of effective runaway youth 

prevention programs and the need for safe and productive alternatives, 

resources, and supports for homeless youth. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 6, 2005 

Mr. PORTER (for himself, Mrs. BIGGERT, Mr. OSBORNE, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mrs. 

MCCARTHY, Mr. GRIJALVA, and Mr. VAN HOLLEN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 

the Workforce 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting efforts to promote greater awareness of effective 

runaway youth prevention programs and the need for 

safe and productive alternatives, resources, and supports 

for homeless youth. 

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; 
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•HRES 484 IH 

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; 
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•HRES 484 IH 

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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports 

2 efforts to promote greater public awareness of effective 

3 runaway youth prevention programs and the need for safe 

4 and productive alternatives, resources, and supports for 

5 homeless youth and youth in other high-risk situations. 

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