PathWays PA Policy Blog

Philadelphia youth advocates (including PathWays PA's Brenda Dawson) with Senator Casey's SE PA Regional Director Ebony Staton Weidman. Courtesy PEC From our friends at PEC : Senator Robert Casey sponsored the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act (S.2571), and he signed onto the "Dear Colleague" letter urging greater support for programs serving children and youth who experience homelessness. The next action is to urge Senators Casey and Toomey to sponsor the Homeless Children and Youth Act (HYCA), S. 611. HCYA is bi-partisan legislation that reforms HUD Homeless Assistance to meet the needs of homeless children, youth, and families. It allows some of the most vulnerable homeless families and youth - those staying with others because they have nowhere else to go, and those staying in motels - to be eligible for HUD homeless assistance by aligning eligibility criteria with those of other federal programs. Good news is that Lisa Murkow...

November is National Runaway Prevention Month, which means it is the perfect time to remind everyone of PathWays PA's Basic Center Program (BCP). The BCP is a community-based residential facility located in West Philadelphia that provides runaway prevention and intervention services for teen girls who have runaway, are homeless or are at risk of being a runaway and/or homeless youth. Five clients, aged 13-17 years, may reside at the Basic Center Program at any given time. The BCP is also now offering an after-school drop-in program for residents and non-residents. The teen lounge will be available for girls ages 13-17 in Philadelphia on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Teen girls can get homework help, a snack, sign up for support and life skills groups or just hang out. To learn more about the Basic Center Program, please contact the Basic Center at 215-397-4287. As the winter sets in and the temperatures turn cold, remember that America’s youth need saf...

From our friends at The National Network for Youth The needs of runaway and homeless youth continue to be an issue across the country and right here in our community. As the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) works to meet President Obama’s “Opening Doors” mandate to end youth homelessness by 2020, HUD released some youth specific documents in the past month. These documents include " Children and Youth and HUD’s Homeless Definition ." In this document, readers can find outlines and summaries of the four categories of HUD Homelessness assistance program eligibility. A letter regarding HUD's work with youth homelessness has also been issued. HUD also recently released their 2014 Annual Homeless Assessment Report . According to the National Network for Youth and others, this report includes "misleading data" - you can read a press release from national organizations  here. The National Network for Youth is offering organizations and ...

Right now in the United States , homeless youth are at high risk of being victimized, exploited, or coerced into human trafficking. Many also find themselves involved in the juvenile justice and/or child welfare system. To stem the tide of abuse and victimization, The Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act would help create appropriate, accessible trauma-informed services that can provide health, healing, and a safe haven for homeless children and teens. Here in the Philadelphia region, runaway and homeless girls can get help right now through a number of organizations, including PathWays PA. Our Basic Center program provides residential facilities for five runaway/homeless girls between ages 13-17 and an after-school drop-in program for residents and non-residents. To learn more about the Basic Center Program, please contact the Basic Center at 215-397-4287. From our friends at the National Network for Youth: S. 2646, the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Traf...

PathWays PA is pleased to announce a grant from Bank of America to support our Girls SHElter for runaway teen girls. The girls served through the SHElter have been thrown out of, or have left, an unstable and/or abusive home environment. Many have experienced emotional, physical and sexual abuse; and have witnessed domestic violence in their home. To survive on the street, the girls are at risk for involvement in high risk activities including drug use, prostitution and human trafficking. The SHElter helps to save the lives of teen girls by preventing their involvement in these activities. While at the SHElter, girls receive support and assistance in stabilizing their lives, accessing supportive services that ensure that they remain engaged in school; and building a support network that will help them move returning home, to a safe family member; or linking participants to a transitional living program or permanent housing. Through the support of Bank of America, PathWays PA w...

From our friends at National Network 4 Youth  NN4Y has been serving the youth of America for more than 30 years by championing the needs of runaway, homeless and other disconnected youth. They are organizing a day of outreach to educate all Senate and House members about the critical issues communities face when striving to serve runaway and homeless youth. A comprehensive Resource Guide to participate in the following activities is here:  Call-in : Call your Senate and House members at (202) 224-3121 to educate them about runaway and homeless youth issues in their community. Emphasize the value of Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) funding in communities.  Letter writing : Write letters to your U.S. Senate and House representatives to educate them about runaway and homeless youth issues in their community. These letters will specifically highlight the federal grant programs that are making an impact in your local communities. Sharing a copy of these letters ...

From our friends at the National Network for Youth The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) expires September 30, 2013 and authorizes grant programs that provide critical services for homeless and runaway youth. "Expires" doesn't mean the law disappears. It does mean that the longer a bill remains expired the more difficult it becomes to reauthorize. The NN4Y has convened the RHYA 2013 Reauthorization Working Group, a group of advocates in DC and from the homeless and vulnerable youth field who are working with us to advance this reauthorization cycle. To learn more about this 27-member working group, GO HERE . ACTION NEEDED: CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES Your relationships with your federal representatives greatly assists the National Network in educating Congress and advancing policies that reflect the need of homeless and runaway youth in America. To see our policy recommendations for this reauthorization cycle, GO HERE . To find your representatives, use t...