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 partial or full contract rights for homeless youth.
Systems
- There is a current state plan to end homelessness that contains a youth-specific strategy component.
Environment
- None.
Law & Policy
- Enact and fund a state law similar to the federal RHYA to provide key intervention and emergency services for youth experiencing homelessness.
- Extend services beyond 18 for youth in child welfare or juvenile justice jurisdiction.
- Allow unaccompanied youth under 18 to apply for health insurance coverage on their own.
- Allow shelters to take in youth experiencing homelessness with a delay or waiver of notification requirements.
- Allow partial and alternative school credit accrual for youth experiencing homelessness.
Systems
- As part of the state plan to prevent and end youth homelessness, include a strategy to address homelessness among LGBTQ youth.
- 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.
- Promote safe and inclusive environments in child welfare, juvenile justice, and runaway and homeless youth programs by providing protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
- Ban controversial and ineffective service provision that includes conversion therapy.