On October 5, 2015, Council members gathered in Washington D.C. to share their policy priorities around youth who crossover to the Juvenile Justice systems and youth experiencing homelessness. Council members met with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University, and the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families.

Crossover Youth 

Council members believe that the barriers faced by crossover youth are compounded by the barriers they faced while in the foster care system, making this population especially at-risk for falling through the cracks. These barriers stem from the lack of data shared between systems and the lack of data informing research and literature on the experiences and outcomes of crossover youth. Read more about the Council’s Crossover Youth policy priorities.

Homelessness 

Research on the rates of homelessness for young adults from foster care indicates that about one in three foster youth will experience homelessness after leaving care, making it clear that homelessness is a very serious issue among transitioning foster youth. Council members referred to research, best practices, personal experiences with homelessness, and poll results to create priorities around preventing homelessness among young adults from foster care. Read more about the Council’s Homelessness policy priorities.