[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 430 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
108th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 430
Designating November 2004 as ``National Runaway Prevention Month''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 21, 2004
Mr. Hatch (for himself, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Durbin, Ms.
Landrieu, Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Levin, Mr. Kennedy, and Mrs. Murray)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary
October 10, 2004
Committee discharged; considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Designating November 2004 as ``National Runaway Prevention Month''.
Whereas the prevalence of runaway and homeless youth in the United States is
staggering, with studies suggesting that between 1,600,000 and 2,800,000
young people live on the streets of the United States each year;
Whereas running away from home is widespread, with 1 out of every 7 children in
the United States running away before the age of 18;
Whereas youth that end up on the streets are often those who have been thrown
out of their homes by their families, who have been physically,
sexually, and emotionally abused at home, who have been discharged by
State custodial systems without adequate transition plans, who have lost
their parents through death or divorce, and who are too poor to secure
their own basic needs;
Whereas effective programs supporting runaway youth and assisting young people
in remaining at home with their families succeed because of partnerships
created among families, community-based human service agencies, law
enforcement agencies, schools, faith-based organizations, and
businesses;
Whereas preventing young people from running away and supporting youth in high-
risk situations is a family, community, and national responsibility;
Whereas the future well-being of the Nation is dependent on the value placed on
young people and the opportunities provided for youth to acquire the
knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to develop into safe,
healthy, and productive adults;
Whereas the National Network for Youth and its members advocate on behalf of
runaway and homeless youth and provide an array of community-based
support services that address the critical needs of such youth;
Whereas the National Runaway Switchboard provides crisis intervention and
referrals to reconnect runaway youth to their families and to link young
people to local resources that provide positive alternatives to running
away; and
Whereas the National Network for Youth and the National Runaway Switchboard are
co-sponsoring National Runaway Prevention Month to increase public
awareness of the life circumstances of youth in high-risk situations and
the need for safe, healthy, and productive alternatives, resources, and
supports for youth, families, and communities: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate designates November 2004 as ``National
Runaway Prevention Month''.
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