at-risk families

For people in the runaway and homeless youth field, it's the million dollar question: What makes a young person more or less likely to run away or leave home and become homeless? If we knew the answer, perhaps we could end youth homelessness entirely.
The Administration for Children and Families is accepting applications for programs that offer an array of support services to help low-income individuals and families become economically self-sufficient. Learn more about this opportunity.
An average family in the United States is about half as strong as it has the potential to be. That’s the conclusion of a new study of family assets, or strengths, conducted by the nonprofit research and education group The Search Institute.
Ask runaway youth why they left home, and many will say they simply couldn't live with their parents any longer. Understanding that relationships between young people and parents can be complex, Youth Communication has posted several articles by youth about their experiences with their parents. These stories model ways that teens were able to communicate effectively and find...
“Perceived Fatherhood Roles and Parenting Behaviors Among African American Teen Fathers” (abstract), Journal of Adolescent Research, Vol. 26, No. 1, January 2011. (originally published online November 2010)
A former runaway and her father discuss her struggles with drug use and childhood abuse and the relationships that helped them both recover. Time: 6:48 | Size: 4 MB | Transcript
Adolescence is a time for young people to define their place in the family, peer groups, and the larger community. During this stage of their lives, youth struggle with the transition from childhood to adulthood. During childhood, they depended mainly on their parents for economic and emotional support and direction. In adulthood, though, they will be expected to achieve independence and make...
When times get tough, programs that serve families and youth find themselves in a difficult spot: More people need more help, but at the same time, funding for social services begins to dry up. So say a trio of recent publications addressing the effects of the economic and housing crises on vulnerable families and at-risk youth. (Publications discussed here do not necessarily reflect the views...
When young people seek help from an emergency shelter funded by the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), nearly 9 times out of 10 they cite “family dynamics” among the reasons they left home. The term can indicate many kinds of conflict—arguing with parents or a step parent, not getting along with a sibling—but for many young people it reflects an atmosphere of...
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National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth | 5515 Security Lane, Suite 800 | North Bethesda, MD 20852 | (301) 608-8098 | ncfy@acf.hhs.gov