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Quick Facts & Stats
State Ranking: 23
Overall Score: 45
Performance Breakdown
- Law & Policy: 53% of metrics met
- Laws authorizing comprehensive supports and services for youth experiencing homelessness: 11% of metrics met
- Preventing youth experiencing homelessness from coming into contact with the criminal and juvenile justice systems: 76% of metrics met
- Providing unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness the opportunity to seek legal independence and live independently: 75% of metrics met
- Addressing the educational needs of youth experiencing homelessness: 0% of metrics met
- Allowing youth experiencing homelessness to access critical supports and services: 56% of metrics met
- Systems: 52% of metrics met
- Environment: 6% of metrics met
State Highlights
Some areas where South Dakota has moved the needle relative to other states includes preventing homeless youth’s contact with the criminal and juvenile justice systems and providing unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness the opportunity to seek legal independence and live independently.
Law & Policy
- State law allows youth in need of supervision to receive services without court involvement.
- State law does not specifically criminalize running away.
- State law provides youth experiencing homelessness some contract rights.
- State allows unaccompanied youth under 18 to apply for health insurance coverage on their own.
Systems
- There is a current state plan to end homelessness that contains a youth-specific and LGBTQ youth-specific strategy component.
Environment
- The state promotes safe and inclusive environments in child welfare programs by providing protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Recommendations for Improvement
There is room for improvement throughout the metrics for the Mount Rushmore State, with emphasis on the Systems and Environment categories. Laws authorizing comprehensive supports and services for youth experiencing homelessness, addressing their educational needs, and protecting the rights and interests of youth experiencing homelessness, including LGBTQ youth, should be prioritized.
Law & Policy
- Enact and fund a state law similar to the federal RHYA to provide key intervention and emergency services for youth experiencing homelessness.
- Implement a grievance process for students experiencing homelessness that complies with federal law.
Systems
- Create a state entity - such as an Office of Homeless Youth Services - that focuses solely on designing, implementing, and evaluating youth homelessness programs.
- Create an Interagency Council on Homelessness that mirrors the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), providing a multi-sectoral approach to preventing and ending youth homelessness.
Environment
- Organize and maintain a self-governing youth action board or council to inform youth homelessness policy within the state.
- Require training about sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, healthy sexual development, or issues specific to LGBTQ youth for staff working in runaway and homeless youth systems.
- Ban controversial and ineffective service provision that includes conversion therapy.
- Promote safe and inclusive environments in juvenile justice and runaway and homeless youth programs by providing protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.