Homeless youth face countless barriers that limit their ability to complete a high school diploma and transition to postsecondary education. Their experiences vary widely based on family, access to social services, and where they live. More than half of the 1.5 million homeless youth in America are in fact living "doubled-up," staying with family…

This book consists of 15 chapters on understanding and helping the homeless. The first seven chapters present the "new" homeless in historical context and describe this population and its situation. The remaining eight chapters discuss policy and program options of the government and other organizations in attempting to alleviate the problems of…

Homelessness affects a wide cross-section of society. Causes of homelessness, attempted remedies, and potential solutions for the future are presented. Descriptions of the experiences of men, women, and children who have fallen through the "safety net" of social services are included from cities throughout the country. Support is given for the…

This essay with photographs describes the experiences of two runaways, examining why they left home and how they found help. Although runaways have a reputation for being irresponsible, they usually have good reasons for leaving home. The nun who ran Noah's Ark, where both the runaways featured found shelter and help, estimated that only about two…

The phenomenon of street children is a growing concern in South Africa. The Human Sciences Research Council and the South African Department of Health and Population Development organized a networking conference in November 1993 as a step toward developing, on a partnership basis, guidelines for policy and strategies in the best interests of…

This book aims to present what is known about homeless children and to let the stories of some homeless families make their situations clear. The first part of the book covers the background and social, educational, and health issues of homeless children, with a discussion of causes. Part 2 presents some stories of homeless youth and families,…

This book offers specific information on the wide range of federal prevention, emergency shelter, and family service programs available today that provide children and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness with financial support, education, job training, nutritional services, and crisis funding. The chapters are: (1)…

Massive social upheaval, families' failure to provide a supportive milieu, and the schools' failure to instill an appreciation of education has contributed to large numbers of black street children in South Africa. This exploratory study analyzed the problem of street children in the Durban municipal area in South Africa, providing a social…