Homeless youth, alternatively referred to as unaccompanied youth, is a growing demographic within the unhoused population. The federal government defines this subset as “not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.”
Children and young people under 21 who lack a permanent nighttime residence also fall under this umbrella term. As with other demographics, this group of young people faces their fair share of obstacles. However, their hurdles are rarely spoken of and often go unaddressed. Read on to learn how unaccompanied youth are locked out of access to things like:
- Healthcare
- Primary education
- Financial aid
- Student loans
- Higher education
- Mental health counseling and more
Because they need the signature of an often absent, non-existent, unavailable, or angered caregiver to obtain the above-listed necessities, homeless youth will tragically go without. Therefore, even if they are sheltered in group homes or emergency accommodations, many of their basic needs fall by the wayside.
Youth in Homeless Shelters Are Denied Basic Rights to Education, Aid, Resources, and More
Seeking signatures is often a losing battle.
Many say that homelessness is not only the loss of housing but, perhaps more importantly, it is the unwanted forfeiture of choice. The freedom to move about according to your own beliefs is stripped away once people unjustly label you “a beggar” and then insist that this means you can never be a “chooser.”
This lack of choice is even more evident in unaccompanied youth, who, although they are no longer under the care or protection of their legal guardian, still need this person’s signature to access resources and aid.
To be defined as an unaccompanied youth, a person under the age of 21 must fit one or more aspects of the following criteria:
- They have been removed from their home by a government entity due to allegations of neglect or abuse.
- They are legally classified as a runaway or otherwise homeless person
- They are a young, unhoused parent or soon-to-be-parent at the time of consensus
- They are currently living within the juvenile justice system, the foster care system, or a child protective system
Because they are legally underage, seeking services often requires a signature they’re unable to attain.
“We work with youth in shelters, and it’s difficult to set them up with basic care because if they’re under 14, if the parent’s rights aren’t terminated, we have to go through an uncooperative or absent parent to access certain services,” explained Elwyn crisis counselor Dominique Riley, who specializes in providing mental health services to youth who are either homeless or unstably housed, particularly those who are living in the homeless shelter system.
“In many cases, the shelter does not have the authority to sign an underaged individual into the crisis center, if that’s the recommendation. And then, we sometimes have parents of these youth who are themselves homeless or drug addicts or completely absent,” she continued. “But, for whatever reason, their rights haven’t been terminated. This makes it difficult to get the proper healthcare assistance because, although we’re trying to fast-track the process, the parent is unfound or not cooperating.”
“If DHS or CO does not have those legal signing rights, then we have to present the situation to a judge, which can take a very long time,” she explained.
“There are so many things service workers must do to override the consent portion of an application,” Riley said. “Other than that, we can only take them to a hospital emergency room, like CHOP, instead of the crisis center. Even in that case, we may not have the necessary consent to transport them from the crisis center to the emergency room in the first place.”
Unaccompanied Youth Need Specific Signatures to Get Help. If They Don’t Get the Signatures, They Go Without the Services
In many cases, it isn’t enough to simply obtain the signature of any caregiver. It has to be a specific person deemed the legal guardian on paper.
A mother who has lost custody of her child cannot, for example, provide a signature if the father has kicked the child out and he is denoted as the legal guardian.
Simply being a parent is not enough. The signing party must be a parent who is also the legal custodian of the homeless youngster. This creates barriers not only to counseling but also to schooling for primary and higher education, financial aid, and other services like food programs, clothing drives, and housing.
The Challenge of Schooling is Ongoing for Homeless Students
The grade school enrollment process can be daunting even for an adult, let alone a child trying to do things on their own. The necessary documents consist not only of guardian signatures but also, in many cases, proof of address, vaccination and medical records, previous academic records if switching schools, and much more.
Unhoused grade school students can enlist the help of their local McKinney-Vento Liaison, a professional tasked with helping them assert their right to public education, which is mandated through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. However, many of these homeless students are unaware of this.
College enrollment is equally, if not more challenging, for unaccompanied youth whose parents are still deemed their legal guardians. Imagine needing to rely on an absent, negligent, or abusive parent to fill out FAFSA forms and loan applications so you can attend college like other graduating students. Imagine not being able to complete your higher education if they say no.
These young people are at the mercy of an outdated system that isn’t serving them or our communities. We can and should do better.
Talk To Your Legislators About Creating an Accessible World for Homeless Children, An Oasis They Can Finally Come Home To
More must be done to improve the social service system, particularly for this abundant, often-overlooked demographic.
Unaccompanied youths between the ages of 13 and 21 should have equal access to the resources that housed adolescents regularly use. Many of them are sheltered but unhoused, which means they are already at a disadvantage before they’ve even reached adulthood.
Talk to your local representatives about the troubling epidemic of youth homelessness and about making housing a human right for all.
