Runaway & Homeless Youth Program

Basic Center Program (BCP) works to establish or strengthen community-based programs that meet the immediate needs of runaway and homeless youth and their families. The programs provide youth up to age 18 with emergency shelter, food, clothing, counseling, and referrals for health care. BCPs can provide 21 days of shelter for up to 20 youth and seek to reunite young people with their families, whenever possible, or to locate appropriate alternative placements. In addition to emergency shelter, many BCP grantees provide out-of-shelter services, including street-based services and home-based services for families with youth at risk of separation from their families. There are exceptions for jurisdictions that have different standards for licensing.

The Transitional Living Program and Maternity Group Homes fund community-based programs that address the immediate needs of runaway and homeless youth and their families. Both programs aim to increase young people’s safety, well-being, and self-sufficiency and to help them build permanent connections with caring adults.

Transitional living programs provide runaway and homeless youth with safe and appropriate shelter (usually up to 18 months), along with basic life skills, like money management, interpersonal skills, job skills and parenting skills (as appropriate). Projects also offer mental and physical health care and support educational advancement.

Maternity group homes are specialized transitional living programs that help pregnant and parenting homeless youth and their children. Maternity group homes provide the same services as transitional living programs, as well as skill building in parenting, child development, and family budgeting. Additionally child care, transportation, nutrition and health services, family planning, and pregnancy prevention services are available.

The Street Outreach Program enables organizations around the country to help young people get off the streets. To that end, the program promotes efforts by its grantees to build relationships between street outreach workers and runaway, homeless, and street youth. Grantees also provide support services that aim to move youth into stable housing and prepare them for independence. The program’s ultimate goal is to prevent the sexual abuse or exploitation of young people living on the streets or in unstable housing.