"Mayor de Blasio’s Budget Commits $100 Million to Combat Homelessness in New York" NY Times

Mayor Bill de Blasio began his Wednesday morning discussing income inequality on MSNBC and ended it with the publication of an op-ed in The Washington Post. In between, a largely sympathetic profile landed in Rolling Stone, outlining his push for a national platform.

Yet as Mr. de Blasio moves to bolster his stature as a leader of the Democratic Party’s liberal wing, at least one signpost of inequality has remained persistently dire on his watch at home: Homelessness in New York City has reached its highest levels since the Great Depression, according to advocates, with shelter populations in December exceeding 59,000 people, including about 23,000 children.

On Thursday, Mr. de Blasio is expected to detail plans aimed at combating the problem as part of his executive budget presentation. Officials said Wednesday that the city would commit $100 million in annual spending, including funding for rental assistance to more than 7,000 new households, anti-eviction efforts and other measures.

In a statement, Mr. de Blasio said his administration was “using every resource we have to combat homelessness.”

The number of homeless people sleeping in municipal shelters has grown almost 70 percent in the last decade, according to the Coalition for the Homeless. The street presence of unsheltered homeless people in the city has prompted advocates to draw unfavorable comparisons to decades past, though city officials disputed this notion, calling the perception a function of the weather, among other factors.

The specter of a rising shelter population has received additional attention since last month, when the director of a Bronx homeless shelter was abducted and killed by one of its former residents, according to the authorities.

The mayor’s budget plans come on the heels of an agreement, reached last year by state and city officials, to provide rental assistance to homeless families in which at least one person holds a full-time job. Officials have also begun a subsidy program, aimed at chronically homeless families, and a pilot program subsidizing the rent of domestic violence victims with children.

Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, deputy mayor for health and human services, said the city had seen some positive trends amid the increases in rental assistance. Since October, the city said, more than 6,300 people have left shelters for permanent housing. The administration said its “diversion rate” — the number of people on the cusp of entering shelters, before receiving help to remain in their homes — had also improved in recent months.

Aides to the mayor and advocates for homeless people disagreed on the current number of unsheltered homeless people in New York City. The administration, citing a survey conducted in February by the Department of Homeless Services, said the figure had decreased 5 percent in the past year, to 3,182.

The Coalition for the Homeless has long cast doubt on the survey’s accuracy, citing the cold weather during the count and the efforts of homeless people to conceal themselves from any authorities.

 “It just flies in the face of common sense,” Mary Brosnahan, the group’s president, said of the supposed decrease in unsheltered homelessness. “Across the board, New Yorkers are seeing more homeless people.”

In general, advocates have compared Mr. de Blasio favorably to his predecessor, Michael R. Bloomberg. Ms. Brosnahan, who was briefed on the budget proposal on Wednesday, praised the plans, which include new federally funded rental assistance for more than 1,200 households and additional money for legal assistance in housing court.

Last week, several elected officials and an advocacy group, Homes for Every New Yorker, called on the city to allocate 2,500 New York City Housing Authority apartments each year to families in shelters.

“The city is choosing to do less than what it can do,” said Ritchie Torres, chairman of the City Council’s public housing committee. “We should make the best possible use of every tool that we have, including public housing.”

The city allocates some housing authority units for homeless people, but officials have balked at setting aside thousands, citing extensive wait lists.

Is Homeless and Houselessness the same thing?

Houseless and Homeless Same?  Not exactly.

Many think so, but they are different and overlap.   Many think that if you have a roof over your head – housed that is (shelter, rooming house, somebody’s couch) then you are not homeless.   They think you are homeless only if you live outside, on the streets.  They are wrong.

If you don’t get the difference, think about it until you do.  Read the words of the homeless veteran below and see if anything clicks.   The old saying, “home  is where the heart is” is quite valid and true.  Just because a homeless person is in shelter or sleeping on a friend’s couch, or living in a cheap motel, doesn’t mean he or she is not still homeless.

They may be housed and homeless at the same time.  This is a big issue and a terribly sore spot with the homeless.  To them there is a world of difference; almost fighting words!   There are homeless veterans and houseless veterans, two different levels of homeless, but don’t say that someone housed cannot be homeless.  The houseless veteran is one that sleeps in a doorway or back alley or along some creek bank somewhere.   The homeless veteran covers that and also the housed that cannot make a home out of their accomidations.

DEFINITION

From Wikipedia:  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines the term “homeless” or “homeless individual or homeless person” as — (1) an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; and (2) an individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is: A) supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill); B) an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or C) a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodations for human beings.

Definition 1) covers the unhoused homeless and 2) covers the housed homeless.  There are others, including those living in cars, campers, paid motel rooms/flop houses, rooming houses, bus terminals, transit cars, and couch surfing that kind of blur whether they are covered at all or included in C).

Most homeless census counts do not count the homeless that are able to score time in a motel or hotel as homeless, although usually they get that brief stay for only a few days or a week.  Most homeless census counts also do not count homeless in transit (those at bus or train stations or actually in transit), even though some live in the metro transit systems for years.   The result is an undercount.

Real definition of Homelessness?

There is more than one “official” definition of homelessness. Health centers funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) use the following:

A homeless individual is defined in section 330(h)(5)(A) as “an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family), including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private facility (e.g., shelters) that provides temporary living accommodations, and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing.” A homeless person is an individual without permanent housing who may live on the streets; stay in a shelter, mission, single room occupancy facilities, abandoned building or vehicle; or in any other unstable or non-permanent situation. [Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C., 254b)]

An individual may be considered to be homeless if that person is “doubled up,” a term that refers to a situation where individuals are unable to maintain their housing situation and are forced to stay with a series of friends and/or extended family members. In addition, previously homeless individuals who are to be released from a prison or a hospital may be considered homeless if they do not have a stable housing situation to which they can return. A recognition of the instability of an individual’s living arrangements is critical to the definition of homelessness. (HRSA/Bureau of Primary Health Care, Program Assistance Letter 99-12, Health Care for the Homeless Principles of Practice)

Programs funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) use a different, more limited definition of homelessness [found in the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-22, Section 1003)].

An individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence;

An individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground;

An individual or family living in a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including hotels and motels paid for by Federal, State or local government programs for low-income individuals or by charitable organizations, congregate shelters, and transitional housing);

An individual who resided in a shelter or place not meant for human habitation and who is exiting an institution where he or she temporarily resided;

An individual or family who will imminently lose their housing [as evidenced by a court order resulting from an eviction action that notifies the individual or family that they must leave within 14 days, having a primary nighttime residence that is a room in a hotel or motel and where they lack the resources necessary to reside there for more than 14 days, or credible evidence indicating that the owner or renter of the housing will not allow the individual or family to stay for more than 14 days, and any oral statement from an individual or family seeking homeless assistance that is found to be credible shall be considered credible evidence for purposes of this clause]; has no subsequent residence identified; and lacks the resources or support networks needed to obtain other permanent housing; and

Unaccompanied youth and homeless families with children and youth defined as homeless under other Federal statutes who have experienced a long-term period without living independently in permanent housing, have experienced persistent instability as measured by frequent moves over such period, and can be expected to continue in such status for an extended period of time because of chronic disabilities, chronic physical health or mental health conditions, substance addiction, histories of domestic violence or childhood abuse, the presence of a child or youth with a disability, or multiple barriers to employment.

Hence different agencies use different definitions of homelessness, which affect how various programs determine eligibility for individuals and families at the state and local level. Health centers use the HHS definition in providing services.

Causes of Homelessness

Relationship breakdown is the main reason people give for losing their home but is there more to the story?

The most common reasons people give for losing their accommodation is that a friend or relatives  are no longer able to provide support or because of relationship breakdown.

However, there are often a wide number of factors at play. Individuals can arrive at the point of homelessness after a long chain of other life events.

Individual circumstances

Some factors and experiences can make people more vulnerable to homelessness: these include poor physical health, mental health problems, alcohol and drugs issues, bereavement, experience of care, and experience of the criminal justice system.

Wider forces

Structural factors can include poverty, inequality, housing supply and affordability, unemployment, welfare and income policies.

Complex interplay

Structural and individual factors are often interrelated; individual issues can arise from structural disadvantages such as poverty or lack of education. While personal factors, such as family and social relationships, can also be put under pressure by structural forces such as poverty.

- See more at: http://www.homeless.org.uk/facts/understanding-homelessness/causes-of-homelessness#sthash.EwsUJKFZ.dpuf

Homelessness: Definition

Homelessness is the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are most often unable to acquire and maintain regular, safe, secure and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence."[1] The legal definition of homeless varies from country to country, or among different jurisdictions in the same country or region.[dubious – discuss][2] The term homeless may also include people whose primary night-time residence is in a homeless shelter, a warming center, a domestic violence shelter, a vehicle (including recreational vehicles and campers), squatting, cardboard boxes, a tent, tarpaulins, or other ad hoc housing situations. American government homeless enumeration studies[3][4] also include persons who sleep in a public or private place not designed for use as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.[5][6] There are a number of organizations who provide provisions for the homeless for example, The Salvation Army.

An estimated 100 million people worldwide were homeless in 2005.[7] In western countries, the large majority of homeless are men (75–80%), with single males particularly overrepresented.[8][9][10]

Most countries provide a variety of services to assist homeless people. They often provide food, shelter and clothing and may be organized and run by community organizations (often with the help of volunteers) or by government departments. These programs may be supported by government, charities, churches and individual donors. Many cities also have street newspapers, which are publications designed to provide employment opportunity to homeless people. While some homeless have jobs, some must seek other methods to make a living. Begging or panhandling is one option, but is becoming increasingly illegal in many cities.

Common troubles for Common Runaways

Common problems

What happens to runaway children?

Young people who run away and do not return home may remain on the street, go to a shelter, or be placed in foster homes by welfare agencies. Some eventually join the armed services or take jobs that keep them on the road, such as carnival or sales work. Others end up in jails or mental institutions. Those who remain on the streets have few options that would provide them with decent living conditions. Their age, lack of work experience, and uncompleted education make it difficult for them to find a job, especially one that pays more than minimum wage. It is common for both male and female runaways living on the streets to steal, panhandle, deal and abuse drugs, engage in prostitution, and pose for pornographic pictures. For shelter they may stay with strangers, spend nights in bus stations, all-night coffee shops, and other public places, or stow away in empty or abandoned buildings or even in stairwells. Many never get off the streets, becoming part of the adult homeless population.

There are an estimated 750 runaway shelters and youth crisis centers in the United States. These offer safe shelter, food, counseling, and advocacy services to help young people deal with parents, police, and the courts. Many also provide educational and vocational assistance. However, shelters do set certain conditions for accepting runaways, the most common being parental notification. This is an obstacle for some young people who do not want their parents contacted, even though the shelter does not press them to return home. One problem that has occurred at some shelters is sexual molestation by other runaways and staff members. Nevertheless, many young people have had positive experiences at shelters, which they either find on their own or are sent to by the legal or welfare systems.

Since the 1970s, hotlines have been available to help runaways and their families. The Runaway Hotline and the National Runaway Switchboard (1–800–621–4000) have become widely used 24-hour help lines that offer crisis counseling and referrals to service agencies that can provide food, shelter, medical aid, and other types of help. The National Runaway Switchboard will put runaways and their parents in touch without revealing the location from which the teenager is calling.

Parental concerns

Parents are often emotionally devastated when their child runs away. Their fluctuating emotions may include anger, grief, guilt, and fear . Sometimes they are not sure if their child has run away or been abducted. A parent's first concern is to find his or her child and/or make sure he or she is in a safe environment. To help achieve this, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children recommends these steps for parents.

They should check with friends and relatives to try to locate the child and enlist their help in thinking about where the child might be.

They should check diaries and e-mails for clues about the child's plans. They can ask the child's friends if they know the child's online passwords.

They should report to local law enforcement immediately that the child has run away or is missing. There is no waiting period to report a missing or runaway minor or to enter their information into the FBI NCIC database.

They should provide a description and photograph of the child to law officers.

They should check local places where the child may be hanging out.

They should check again with the child's friends. They may know something but initially be reluctant to tell the parents.

They should call the National Runaway Switchboard (1–800–621–4000) and see if the child has left a message for them. They can leave a message for the child here in case the child calls the hotline.

If the child contacts the parents and refuses to return home, the parents should encourage him or her to contact the National Runaway Switchboard and ask for assistance or encourage the child to go to a friend or relative. Parents can ask their child to stay in touch and make a plan about when the child will call again. If the child returns home, parents need to try to respond with concern and love, rather than anger. Children who have been away for more than a few days should have a complete medical examination. They also can benefit from seeing a mental health practitioner for help dealing with the distress that drove them away from home. Family therapy to help resolve whatever family problems may have driven the child away from home initially can also be beneficial in preventing a repeat running away incident.

Info Taken from: http://www.healthofchildren.com/R/Running-Away.html#ixzz3a7tTOsUG

Shelters and Training Programs Offer Help to Runaway Children and Parents

So many adolescents are living on Orange County streets and malls that "we could have 1,000 beds and fill them up," said the director of one of the county's shelters for runaways, truants and incorrigibles.

As it is, the county's three dozen beds for juvenile runaways are almost always filled at shelters such as Amparo Youth Shelter or Odyssey, both in Garden Grove, and Casa de Bienvenidos in Los Alamitos.

"More and more kids are running away at earlier ages," said J. L. Radford-Williard, Amparo director. "Some kids are unwilling to go to a shelter."

Amparo counselors aim to reunite the family, but when the parents refuse to participate, they try to help the children 16 and older attain emancipation, a legal status for minors giving them the rights and responsibilities of adults. A 4 1/2-month training program is available for six minors at a time at the Emancipation Training Center (ETC) in Anaheim.

But most parents, however frustrated, want to stay involved, said Greg Bodenhamer, director of Back in Control, an Orange-based program that teaches parenting techniques for difficult children. "A lot of parents do get burned out temporarily and just need a rest," he said.

The Back in Control program trains parents to:

-          Supervise their children. Parents should know where their children are going and with whom before they leave the house, he said. "If they can't be trusted not to run, do drugs, they don't get out of the house until they earn that trust."

-          Discipline their children. Parents should develop a consistent family life with regular routines and chores. They should make sure children go to bed and get up on time and make their beds, with the goal of instilling habits.

-          Track them down when they run away. Parents should keep a list of names, addresses and phone numbers of friends. Friends should be approached with concern and worry, not hostility, he said. Adults harboring runaway children should be notified they may be subject to arrest for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

-          Keep their children in school. School officials should be asked to notify the parents the same day if the children skip class. "If the girl cuts, we recommend mom walk her from class to class. Ninety-five per cent only have to go one time."

-          Provide alternative supervision when they need to be out. After-school supervision can be provided by neighbors, friends or volunteer programs. Adult supervision also is available through athletics, drama, music, yearbook programs or afternoon or evening Regional Occupational Programs.

Parents who cannot be home at night regularly need to change their schedules or jobs, he said. They need to provide an atmosphere in which their children feel comfortable and wanted.

"They should hug and kiss, even if the kid is a little pill that day," he said.

Bodenhamer, a former probation officer and father of three, believes there are no "bad kids."

"Every kid is workable. Some need more work and more structure than others," he said. "I've seen horrible family situations with rotten kids turned around because parents took the time and the energy to do it."

Info Obtained From: http://articles.latimes.com/1987-11-15/local/me-20987_1_training-program

Runaway children fleeing abuse at home often then abused again, report reveals

More than 77,000 children run away every year – often because they have been ­sexually exploited, says research released today.1

Teen runaways take the decision to flee their homes because of abuse, but then risk being abused again because they are vulnerable.

Research released today by Barnardo’s and Comic Relief suggests the Government needs to do more to ensure their safety.

More than 40 runaways were interviewed for the report.

Of those, 19 children were found on the streets in areas such as parks and where food is given to homeless people.

Nearly half of the sample group said they are not receiving any help to address their running away or sexual exploitation.

One of those who agreed to take part was Lily, who admitted feeling forced to have sex with older men as a way of avoiding difficult situations.

“If kids are on the street, if they run away or their parents kick them out, there are men out there who will take advantage of them,” she said.

“If you’ve got nowhere else to go, you’ll have sex with them. It’s better than sleeping out and getting raped by someone you don’t know who could do anything to you.”

Barnardo’s director of children’s services Sam Monaghan said the vulnerability of runaway children makes them easy prey for criminals who “ want to manipulate them for their own means”.

The stories of these young people paint a bleak picture of the realities facing children who run away,” she said.

“When a child runs away it should act as a warning to everyone concerned with their welfare.

"We need to proactively look for these children and act decisively to stop them falling into situations which can leave their lives spiralling out of control.

“The ease with which the author of the report was able to find young people is a sobering reminder to us all. It is essential we get these children first, because if we don’t then those who want to abuse them will.

“It is paramount that we do not overlook the vulnerability of children who run away from home or care.”

Barnardo’s is calling on the government to urgently analyse the risks faced by runaway children and the level of support provided.

Info Obtained From: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/runaway-children-fleeing-abuse-home-2056150

Running Away

When you were little, did you ever run away? Maybe you packed up your backpack and made it down the driveway or around the corner to your friend's backyard. But after a little while, you forgot why you were running away and it was getting dark out, so you went home.

We hope that was the last time you thought about running away because there's a big difference between thinking about running away (or walking a few blocks down the street) and actually running away.

Do You Need Help? Running away is a serious problem. According to the National Runaway Switchboard, an organization that takes calls and helps kids who have run away or are thinking of running away, 1 in 7 kids between the ages of 10 and 18 will run away at some point. And there are 1 million to 3 million runaway and homeless kids living on the streets in the United States.

Why Kids Run Away

Remember how you felt the last time you got in a big fight with your parents or one of your brothers or sisters? That kind of anger and hurt can be what pushes someone to run away from home.

In fact, most kids run away due to problems with their families. Some kids run away because of one terrible argument. Some even decide to leave without ever having a fight. They might have done something they're ashamed of, and they're afraid to tell their parents.

Other reasons kids run away include:

·         abuse (violence in the family)

·         parents separating or divorcing or the arrival of a new stepparent

·         death in the family

·         birth of a new baby in the family

·         family financial worries

·         kids or parents drinking alcohol or taking drugs

·         problems at school

·         peer pressure

·         failing or dropping out of school

These are problems faced by lots of kids and teens — and there are ways to deal with all of these problems besides running away. Kids who think about running away might not know how to solve tough problems or don't have adults to help them. Sometimes a really big problem can make it seem like running away is the only choice.

Unfortunately, the problems kids hope to escape by running away are replaced by other — sometimes even bigger — problems of life on the streets.

Info Obtained From: http://kidshealth.org/kid/grow/tough_topics/running_away.html

The Truth About Runaway Teens

We are very concerned for the welfare and safety of our boys & girls who have runaway. We care about these children just as much as we care about a child who has been abducted by a stranger.

When a stranger abducts a child, the media follow the story closely because they know the child is in very grave danger.  

             

It’s important to know that less than 1% of all missing children have been abducted by strangers.  In fact, the NISMART-2 study indicated that each year in the United States 115 children were victims of a stranger kidnapping. We want you to know that 90% of these children who were abducted by strangers are located and returned home safely.

By far, the most prevalent type of reported missing children in the United States are runaway/thrownaway children.  According to the National Runaway Safeline (Formerly the National Runaway Switchboard,) between 1.6-2.8 million youth runaway each year in the United States.  Children can begin running as young as ages 10-14. The youngest are the most at-risk for the dangers of street life.

Unfortunately, all too often runaway youth are often considered a family problem, rather than a child welfare and societal concern—in spite of the astronomical numbers of children who runaway.

PKF Caseworkers have heard runaway youth referred to as “unruly kids who choose not to follow rules,” or as “troublemakers,” “voluntarily missing,” or “just a runaway.”

Today we are sharing with you the truth: runaways are children in danger. They need to be searched for immediately and helped.

There is a very strong Runaway Myth that goes like this: 

“Children who runaway make their own decisions to go. Let them be, they’ve made their own choice and must deal with the consequences. If they want to come home they will.”

We want you to know the Runaway Myth makes several false assumptions. Let’s take a look at these assumptions and how they can impact our vulnerable, at-risk runaway children.

False Assumption #1: Teenagers are rational decision-makers, they make decisions and plan their actions with care.

We are the first to admit that there are teens who make considered decisions. But, we all know that the teen years are a time of life when kids are learning emotion and decision management.

The National Runaway Safeline tells us that more than 70 percent of teen runaways interviewed “described their leaving home as occurring on the spur of the moment.” Many kids didn’t even pack a bag, make sure they had money for food and shelter, or figure out where they were going to spend the night.

While most children who runaway return home safe within a week, the life changing hazards of living on the streets are very high for those who cannot return home because they have no home to go to, or they have become victims of prostitution or drug selling.

False Assumption #2: All homeless children have a home to return to.

Nearly half of the homeless kids surveyed by the National Runaway Safeline described situations where they were thrown out of their homes by their families or caregivers. These children literally have no place to go. They are called thrownaway children.

Additionally, a good number of runaways come from abusive homes where it was dangerous for them to live.

If homeless boys & girls do not find a reputable shelter, they may panhandle and sleep in parks or abandoned buildings. Survival requires more money than panhandling can provide. Many young people find themselves selling drugs or sex, not by choice, but through necessity.

It is estimated that many young people, especially girls, begin engaging in survival sex within 48 hours of leaving home. Sex for food and a place to stay can quickly escalate into formalized prostitution. This is why parents need to contact their local police the moment they realize their child has runaway. After contacting the police, please be sure to call the Polly Klaas Foundation for help in finding your child.

False Assumption #3:  Runaway/thrownaway children are capable of: 1) getting themselves out of whatever they were doing to survive and 2) returning home safely on their own.

It is true that some of the more independently minded runaway/thrownaway young people are capable of caring for themselves for years. Many could return home if they chose.

But, there are those children who have begun surviving by exchanging sex for food & shelter or started selling drugs, these children will quickly find themselves in a web of forced labor making money for pimps and pushers. For them there is no easy way home.

According to the National Runaway Safeline, children runaway because:

47% of runaway youth report conflict between them and a parent/guardian in the home.

Over 50% of youth in shelters or on the streets reported that their parents told them to leave or knew they were leaving but did not care

80% of runaway & homeless girls reported having been sexually or physically abused.

34% of runaway youth (girls and boys) reported sexual abuse before leaving home.

43% of runaway youth (girls and boys) reported physical abuse before leaving home.

Are runaway children at risk?

Over 70% of runaway youth have been considered to be endangered.

7% of youth in runaway & homeless youth shelters and 14% of youth on the street had traded sex for money, food, shelter, or drugs.

32% of runaway & homeless youth have attempted suicide at some point in their lives.

We hope we’ve provided you with a clearer yet desperate picture of runaway youth. These children often feel that running away and/or life on the street is their only choice due to their experiences of abuse, conflict or neglect at home.

As you can see, runaways/thrownaways are children on the streets with no responsible caretaker. They often do not have a home to go back to. They are more likely to be victims of abduction, physical & sexual abuse, and sex trafficking.

All too often, our PKF Caseworkers see the very real dangers & tragedy that runaway youth endure. We understand each runaway child’s significant experiences & problems, as well as the problems & experiences of their parents and siblings. We work with them on a daily basis. Once a child returns home, PKF often provides professional counseling referrals for the child and the family so they can become healthy family unit.

One of PKF’s core values is that “we cherish children and protect them every way we can.” We want you to know that most of the missing children reported to the Polly Klaas Foundation are endangered runaways. We care about these children and we want you to care as well.

Cindy Rudometkin, the Polly Klaas Foundation’s Response Department Director, says that “no child is prepared for life on the streets. When a parent calls reporting that their child has runaway, we swing into action. We know the dangers of street life. The sooner we can help bring that child home, the better. They need to be immediately searched for and helped.

”

Info Obtained From: http://www.pollyklaas.org/enews-archive/2013-enews/article-web-pages/the-truth-about-runaways.html

February, 2013