Demonstration Projects
Demonstration Project Rural Host Homes for Basic Center Program
The Basic Center Program provides shelter and support services to assist youth in crisis, reunite them with their families (as appropriate), strengthen their family relationships, and help them transition to safe and appropriate alternative living arrangements where they can become independent, self-sufficient, contributing members of society. The Rural Host Homes Demonstration Project was designed to expand those services to runaway and homeless youth who reside in rural areas not served by shelter facilities.
Expanding Opportunities for Service
Organizations funded through this Demonstration Project are required to recruit, screen, train, and provide ongoing support to host home families that provide services to youth in their homes. While in the program, youth under age 18 receive:
- Shelter for up to 21 days
- Transportation
- Individual, family, and group counseling services
- Assistance staying connected with their schools or staying current with the curricula, in accordance with the provisions of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
- An aftercare plan to ensure continuing support after they leave the program
Finding Solutions
Through the demonstration, the Family and Youth Services Bureau will attempt to assess the gap in services to rural runaway and homeless youth. The Bureau will evaluate whether host homes were utilized, and if the youth were able to receive the same services as those in large metropolitan areas.
Support Systems for Rural Homeless Youth: A Collaborative State and Local Demonstration
The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) recently awarded grants to three States – Colorado, Iowa, and Minnesota – to carry out demonstration projects helping young people in rural areas (including Tribal lands and other rural Native communities) who are approaching young adulthood and independence but have few or no connections to a supportive family or community resources.
Specifically, grant awards provide funding to States to collaborate with local community-based organizations to influence policies, programs, and practices that affect the design and delivery of services to runaway and homeless youth, ages 16-21, in Transitional Living Programs (TLP), as well as youth aging out of State child welfare systems and into Independent Living Programs (ILP).
Focusing on Three Areas
The demonstration focuses on improving coordination of services and creating additional supports for rural youth, especially in three vital areas:
- Survival support services, such as housing, health care, substance abuse, and/or mental health
- Community, such as community service, youth and adult partnerships, mentoring, peer support groups, and/or Positive Youth Development activities
- Education and employment, such as high school/General Equivalency Diploma (GED) completion, postsecondary education, employment, training, and/or jobs
Involving Youth in All Phases
The demonstration is being conducted in two phases: planning and implementation. Currently, grantees are in the planning phase: identifying, convening and consulting with local FYSB-funded agencies providing services to youth in TLP and ILP programs in rural communities.
FYSB sees youth participation as fundamental to the success of the projects. Each project will emphasize youth participation and leadership development in the planning and implementation of project strategies and activities.
Learn More about FYSB's Past Demonstration Projects>>> |
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