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 fol-
lowing 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 be-
tween 1,600,000 and 2,800,000 young people live on the 
streets of the United States each year;
•HRES 484 IH 
Whereas running away from home is widespread, with 1 out 
of every 7 children in the United States running away be-
fore 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 Preven-
tion 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 home-
less youth and assist young people in remaining at home 
succeed because of partnerships created among families, 
community-based human service agencies, law enforce-
ment 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 pro-
ductive adults;
•HRES 484 IH 
Whereas Congress supports an array of community-based 
support services that address the critical needs of run-
away 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. 
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