Recommendations for Youth Aging Out of Child Welfare

Posted by Juvenile Law Center on April 17, 2017

Eight Recommendations for Homelessness Prevention for Youth Aging Out of Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Systems

Last week, Juvenile Law Center’s Child Welfare Policy Director Jennifer Pokempner testified before Philadelphia City Council’s Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and the Homeless on Councilwoman’s Blackwell’s Resolution 170027 to investigate ways the city can prevent homelessness through new models. There are many causes of youth and young adult homelessness, and we must have targeted responses to each one. The child welfare and juvenile justice systems do not cause youth homelessness, but are often left to address a host of social problems. Because we know that large numbers of youth who leave the child welfare and juvenile justice systems become homeless, it is an intervention opportunity that we must take advantage of if we hope to put a dent in young adult homelessness.

Jennifer joined other advocates across the city in sharing recommendations with council members. Specifically, she offered eight strategies for preventing homelessness for youth aging out of the foster care and juvenile justice systems.

http://jlc.org/blog/eight-recommendations-homelessness-prevention-youth-aging-out-child-welfare-and-juvenile-justic