The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) authorizes community-based programs to provide temporary shelter, counseling, and aftercare services to runaway and homeless youth (RHY). 1 The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), an office of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), administers and oversees RHY programs, which support thousands of youth every year through street outreach, emergency shelters, longer-term transitional living and maternity group homes, and clinical and preventative service programs to serve and protect these young people. The RHYA, 34 U.S.C. §11201 et seq., defines the objectives of the activities provided by grantees of RHY programs to meet the needs and aspirations of RHY.
This Report to Congress on the Runaway and Homeless Youth Program provides a summary of the primary activities and services implemented by FYSB RHY grantees between fiscal year (FY) 2018 (October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2018) and FY 2019 (October 1, 2018, to September 30, 2019). The submission of this Report to Congress fulfills FYSB’s legislative mandate to submit a report every 2 years on the status, activities, and accomplishments of RHY grantees, specifically under parts A (Basic Center Program), B (Transitional Living Program and Maternity Group Home Program), and E (Street Outreach Program), and on the results of FYSB’s investments and evaluative efforts in RHY programs.