Chicago — June 25, 2015 - With headlines across the country calling attention to a growing population of homeless youth, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago is launching Voices of Youth Count, a multi-year original research and policy effort designed to understand how many unaccompanied homeless and runaway youth there are in the United States, create a clear and full picture of what it means to be young and homeless in America, and find and widely share solutions to ending youth homelessness.
Bryan Samuels, Chapin Hall's Executive Director announced the national initiative at events linking Chapin Hall with partners across the country. "I have heard community leaders from San Francisco to Boston speaking with great concern of a rise in youth homelessness," he said. "But, these stories mask a troubling fact. There is no accurate estimate of the number of unaccompanied homeless and runaway youth. This work will remedy that."
"The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness has spoken to the need to fill gaps in our knowledge about this highly vulnerable group, saying; '…we know too little about the scale and nature of youth homelessness'," added Samuels. "Chapin Hall, in partnership with some of the nation's most engaged philanthropic leaders on this issue, as well as with dedicated providers of youth services and determined advocates, is ready to take on that challenge."
Through rigorous research, Voices of Youth Count will seek to establish a reliable and valid national estimate of the number of unaccompanied homeless and runaway youth and a deeper understanding of what puts them in that situation. It will provide federal, state, and local decision makers with a fuller view of the size, demographic makeup and needs of these young people.
"Our funder members are eager to understand the scale and scope of youth homelessness," said Anne Miskey, Executive Director, Funders Together to End Homelessness in comments supporting the announcement. "We welcome this opportunity to use data-driven insights to spark meaningful change in the way we approach the issue of youth homelessness in America."
Beginning in mid-2015 through 2017, Voices of Youth Count will engage approximately twenty-five nationally representative sites, including urban, rural and suburban communities in conducting youth counts, among other research activities. Efforts will be designed, coordinated and overseen by Chapin Hall in partnership with localities and service providers. Voices of Youth Count will also analyze existing data sets from schools, foster care systems, and human service agencies.
"Counting homeless youth is a complex endeavor, which is reflective of these young people's lives and situations. Nevertheless, a better understanding of the size and makeup of the population is a critical step for us to develop a more effective way to help end their homelessness," said Nan Roman, President, National Alliance to End Homelessness. "Chapin Hall's approach brings a new level of thinking to how the field can move ahead in finding answers to these important questions in valid and reliable ways."
Youth voice will be central to the effort. Brought forward by in-depth interviews and surveys conducted in tandem with counts, youth voices will help form a more complete picture of the services unaccompanied homeless and runaway youth use and what policies and programs are likely to improve their lives and chances for the future. Information gathered from interviews and surveys will be integrated with a rigorous examination of how well efforts already underway are working, including a review of policies, prevention efforts, and interventions.
"Every day in America, homeless youth face barriers to finding what they need to be safe and healthy," added Darla Bardine, Executive Director, National Network for Youth. "With the knowledge, insight, and data that Voices of Youth Count will bring to the field, we hope to make great progress in increasing the number of young people who are able to find the help and support they need, when they need it."
Voices of Youth Count will link its research findings to the current local, state and federal policy efforts with an eye on authorizing legislation, how programs are structured and funded, and the way in which services are delivered. Voices of Youth Count will actively share its methods, findings, and recommendations with the field.
"We are excited to see unprecedented momentum across the country to solve the problem of youth homelessness," said Tricia Raikes, co-founder of the Seattle-based Raikes Foundation—a Voices of Youth Count Steering Committee member. "To make significant progress, we need a deeper understanding of which young people experience homelessness, why, and what communities can do to help them reach the safe, stable environments they need to thrive. Voices of Youth Count will offer the actionable insights needed to inform policies and empower communities on our journey to make youth homelessness rare, brief and one-time in this country."
For more, please visit www.voicesofyouthcount.org .
Chapin Hall Center at the University of Chicago is an independent policy research center that creates and builds knowledge to design solutions for some of the most challenging problems confronting vulnerable children, families and their communities.www.chapinhall.org
Voices of Youth Count Steering Committee
The Voices of Youth Count Steering Committee members are investors in Voices of Youth Count:
- Ballmer Group Philanthropy
- Campion Foundation
- Casey Family Programs
- Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago
- Melville Charitable Trust
- Raikes Foundation
Voices of Youth Count National Allies
Voices of Youth Count is a partnership led by Chapin Hall, including the following organizations which have offered endorsement of and support for Voices of Youth Count.
Child Welfare League of America
Funders Together to End Homelessness
National Alliance to End Homelessness
National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty
National Network For Youth
National Runaway Safeline
National Safeplace
True Colors Fund
Additional Quotes from the Field about Voices of Youth Count
"Effective advocacy requires good information and knowing what works. Voices of Youth Count will be a critical advocacy tool as we look to end youth homelessness across the country."
Sheila Babb Anderson, Campion Foundation
"Public schools are often the only safety net for youth. Our members witness the struggles and triumphs of homeless youth in school districts of every size. We also contend with the misunderstandings and lack of awareness that stand in the way of solutions. For these reasons, NAEHCY is proud to support Voices of Youth Count. We look forward to the knowledge and action that this unprecedented effort will bring."
Barbara Duffield, National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
"Understanding of the scope and breadth of youth homelessness in America is the essential starting point for ensuring that all young people have safe, affordable places to live and opportunities to reach their full potential. We are so pleased to be a part of this timely national effort to bring awareness, data, and resources to this critical issue."
Janice Elliott, Executive Director, Melville Charitable Trust
"Youth homelessness is both senseless and unacceptable. The conditions that these youth face during their formative years directly shapes how they will spend the rest of their lives. The only way to stop the cycle of homelessness is by unifying our efforts. The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty is joining Voices of Youth Count to bring a more focused look at the experiences of youth facing homelessness."
Maria Foscarinis, Executive Director, National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
"Voices of Youth Count will offer unprecedented insight into who youth experiencing homelessness are and what we as a nation can do to prevent, reduce and end youth homelessness."
Katie Hong, Raikes Foundation
"National Safe Place Network is incredibly supportive of the Voices of Youth Count being launched by Chapin Hall. This count is a necessary and vital undertaking. It has been decades since any type of national count has been conducted and the previous counts were not as comprehensive or as thoughtful. This count will assist all of the affiliated Safe Place agencies with not only validating their work but also justifying the need for increased funding for runaway and homeless youth."
Laurie Jackson, President / CEO of National Safe Place Network
"CWLA is proud to be part of this very important effort to better understand the life circumstances of some of our most vulnerable youth. One of our core principles is the engagement and participation of children, youth and families. This important project is an opportunity for all of the partners to share knowledge and resources and leverage the knowledge and resources gained from families and youth to contribute to better outcomes for children and families."
Christine James-Brown, Executive Director, Child Welfare League of America
