Services for Runaway Youth
Did you know that 1 out of every 7 children will run away? Running away isn’t about “bad” kids. It’s about being too scared or too lonely to stay at home another night. And sometimes things just aren’t working out at home. It can happen to any family, regardless of your wealth, religion, or social status. Running away is traumatic. We know. We’ve worked with runaway youth for 30 years. And we know what to do to help.
. 24-hour crisis response
. Safe overnight shelter
. Re-opening family communication
. Family counseling
If you’re in McLean or DeWitt counties in Illinois and you’re thinking about running away or know someone who already has, give us a call at 309-827-0377. If you’re not in these counties, call the National Ru naway Switchboard at 1-800-RUNAWAY for help.
No matter what time of day or night, and any day of the year, you can find help.
Services for Homeless Youth
Here are the facts:
. 1.2 million children are homeless in America on any given night
. Homeless kids are in poorer health than other kids, having twice as many ear infections, five times more stomach problems, and they’re four times more likely to be asthmatic
. 74% of homeless children worry they’ll never have any place to live
. Homeless children are twice as likely to be physically abused as other children, and three times as likely to be sexually abused
. Daily demands of finding food and shelter push educational and other needs aside
But don’t be discouraged. We’re not. We don’t see dismal stats. We see young people with the same hopes and dreams as everybody else. What they don’t have is steady guidance or the assurance that they will lay their heads down on the same pillow in the same room every night. We want to change that. Every week we’re reaching out to homeless teens, making sure they have a safe place to stay, health care, and basic necessities. And we don’t stop there. We link these young people to schools, job training, transportation, and a host of other services. We help them learn independent living skills and find long-term housing.
Our staff head to homeless shelters, street locations, day centers, and anywhere throughout Bloomington and Normal, Illinois to connect with homeless youth. Each year, we work with over 100 homeless youth in these cities, and have taught staff in other cities how to help street kids, too.
Services for Delinquent Youth
Like everyone else, teenagers make mistakes. Sometimes these mistakes lead to involvement with law enforcement. When that happens in McLean County, Illinois, our staff are there to help. We work with teens and their families to get to the root of the problem. From there, we help them rebuild. More than 95% of our clients don’t re-offend; instead, they move forward. As they begin to experience successes, they start doing better in school, they find new friends who share their new interests, and they are happier at home.
It’s not easy to see yourself in a different light. But that’s exactly what we help young people do. We see them as bright, energetic, and high-potential, and when they begin working with us, they start to see themselves that way, too.
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