December 2010

December 1 Is World AIDS Day

Each year, about 50,000 people are infected with HIV. Half of those infections occur in youth ages 13-24, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Runaway and homeless youth, as well as any youth in crisis, too often find themselves in dangerous situations such as sexual trafficking and abusive relationships. These circumstances put youth at high risk for contracting HIV. 
 

NCFY Recommends: Teens Talk About Connecting With Adults

How can adults build lasting, meaningful relationships with young people? The 6Teens Project attempts to get to the heart of this important question in its free video archive. In the collection of short films, teens talk about the adults they have connected with, how those relationships took shape, and how adults can best contribute to their lives.

New Voices From the Field Podcast: NICWA Director Terry Cross

In the Voices From the Field podcast for December, NCFY talks to Terry Cross, executive director of the National Indian Child Welfare Association, and progenitor of the "relational worldview" of Native youth work.

"The relational worldview is depicted in a four quadrant circle - mind, body, spirit and context," Cross says. "The more that those four quadrants can come into balance, the more we're set to live a healthy life."

Highlight on FYSB Grantees: Preventing Teen Pregnancy and Other Social Problems

Grantees of the Family and Youth Services Bureau have long worked on multiple fronts, addressing many problems that youth and families may face, from homelessness and hunger to substance abuse and mental illness to low education levels and unemployment.

Bright Idea: With Training, Host Homes Offer LGBTQ Youth a Safe Harbor

Last year, Francisco Monzon and his colleagues at the Uhlich Children’s Advantage Network, or UCAN, were approached by a woman recently returned from Minneapolis, where she had witnessed that city’s host home programs for its homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth population. Drawing on the help of unpaid volunteers, the programs placed 18- to 24-year-olds in stable, supportive homes with LGBTQ advocates, enabling them to finish school or look for a job.

The Trevor Project: Helping to Make Things Better for LGBTQ Youth

NCFY recently featured the Trevor Project, a nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention hotline for gay and questioning youth, in an article called, “Connectedness Is Key to Preventing Suicide Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth.” In it, Trevor Project staff give advice for helping youth in crisis and giving them hope for a brighter future.

Penny Lane Supports All Children and All Families

NCFY recently featured the organization Penny Lane in an article called, “Safety, Support and Respect for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth.” A social services organization in North Hills, CA, Penny Lane trains staff to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth, and makes targeted attempts to recruit lesbian and gay foster families and volunteers.

Right on the Money: Five Ways to Thank Your Donors

Common wisdom says to thank your donors at least seven times during the course of the year. Here are five ideas for thanking those who give to your cause – whether individual donors, foundation or government officers or volunteers – one last time before we say goodbye to 2010.

 

Typewritten thank you

 

Ask NCFY: Working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Youth

Q: My program needs help working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. What resources are out there?
 
The recent tragedies among gay youth have sent shockwaves throughout the youth work field and reinforced for many people, like you, the importance of respecting young people and providing a safe environment for them, regardless of their sexuality. Guaranteeing safety for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning young people is also a priority of federal government programs for youth and families.
 

National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth | 5515 Security Lane, Suite 800 | North Bethesda, MD 20852 | (301) 608-8098 | ncfy@acf.hhs.gov