“(1) youth who have become homeless or who leave and remain away from home without parental permission are at risk of developing, and have a disproportionate share of, trauma, substance use disorders, and serious health, behavioral, social, and emotional challenges because they lack sufficient resources to obtain care and may live on the street for extended periods of time, thereby endangering themselves;

“(2) many such young people, because of their age and situation, are urgently in need of temporary shelter and services, including services that consider their age, gender, and social and developmental needs, are culturally and linguistically appropriate, and acknowledge the environment of youth seeking these services;

“(3) research has documented the fluid experiences of homelessness of youth, where many youth experience 2 or more different types of homelessness, including couch surfing, living in motels, and staying on the streets;

“(4) research has documented that persons who are members of historically marginalized and underserved communities of color, LGBTQ youth, youth who do not complete high school or achieve a high school equivalency, youth involved in the child welfare system, youth who have been involved with the criminal justice system, and pregnant and parenting youth are most likely to experience homelessness in the United States while unaccompanied by a parent or adult;

“(5) services to such young people should be developed and provided using a positive youth development approach that ensures a young person a sense of—

“(A) safety and structure;

“(B) belonging and membership;

“(C) self-worth, empowerment, voice, and choice;

“(D) independence and control over one’s life; and

“(E) closeness in interpersonal relationships;

“(6) in view of the interstate nature of the problem, it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to develop an accurate national reporting system to report the prevalence of youth homelessness, and to assist in the development of an effective system of care (including prevention services and aftercare services, short-term housing with services, extended housing with supportive services, and street outreach services) outside the welfare system and the law enforcement system, in collaboration with public assistance systems, the education system, and the child welfare system;

“(7) to make a successful transition to adulthood, youth who run away, youth experiencing homelessness, and youth living in the street need a safe and stable place to live, connections to caring adults, and opportunities to complete high school or earn a general equivalency degree, learn job skills, and obtain employment;

“(8) improved coordination and collaboration at the Federal level between programs that serve runaway and homeless youth are necessary for the development of a long-term strategy for responding to the needs of this population;

“(9) runaway and homeless youth are at a high risk of substance use disorders and becoming victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking;

“(10) since research has shown that the prevalence of homelessness among youth is similar in rural and urban communities, runaway and homeless youth programs, such as those funded under this title, are integral services that every community should provide, regardless of the size of the community; and

“(11) runaway and homeless youth programs, such as those funded under this title—

“(A) are expert adolescent service providers and integral community partners for the child welfare and juvenile justice systems as many youth exit these systems to homelessness; and

“(B) work to reunify youth with their family when safe and appropriate.”.

“(1) youth who have become homeless or who leave and remain away from home without parental permission are at risk of developing, and have a disproportionate share of, trauma, substance use disorders, and serious health, behavioral, social, and emotional challenges because they lack sufficient resources to obtain care and may live on the street for extended periods of time, thereby endangering themselves;

“(2) many such young people, because of their age and situation, are urgently in need of temporary shelter and services, including services that consider their age, gender, and social and developmental needs, are culturally and linguistically appropriate, and acknowledge the environment of youth seeking these services;

“(3) research has documented the fluid experiences of homelessness of youth, where many youth experience 2 or more different types of homelessness, including couch surfing, living in motels, and staying on the streets;

“(4) research has documented that persons who are members of historically marginalized and underserved communities of color, LGBTQ youth, youth who do not complete high school or achieve a high school equivalency, youth involved in the child welfare system, youth who have been involved with the criminal justice system, and pregnant and parenting youth are most likely to experience homelessness in the United States while unaccompanied by a parent or adult;

“(5) services to such young people should be developed and provided using a positive youth development approach that ensures a young person a sense of—

“(A) safety and structure;

“(B) belonging and membership;

“(C) self-worth, empowerment, voice, and choice;

“(D) independence and control over one’s life; and

“(E) closeness in interpersonal relationships;

“(6) in view of the interstate nature of the problem, it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to develop an accurate national reporting system to report the prevalence of youth homelessness, and to assist in the development of an effective system of care (including prevention services and aftercare services, short-term housing with services, extended housing with supportive services, and street outreach services) outside the welfare system and the law enforcement system, in collaboration with public assistance systems, the education system, and the child welfare system;

“(7) to make a successful transition to adulthood, youth who run away, youth experiencing homelessness, and youth living in the street need a safe and stable place to live, connections to caring adults, and opportunities to complete high school or earn a general equivalency degree, learn job skills, and obtain employment;

“(8) improved coordination and collaboration at the Federal level between programs that serve runaway and homeless youth are necessary for the development of a long-term strategy for responding to the needs of this population;

“(9) runaway and homeless youth are at a high risk of substance use disorders and becoming victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking;

“(10) since research has shown that the prevalence of homelessness among youth is similar in rural and urban communities, runaway and homeless youth programs, such as those funded under this title, are integral services that every community should provide, regardless of the size of the community; and

“(11) runaway and homeless youth programs, such as those funded under this title—

“(A) are expert adolescent service providers and integral community partners for the child welfare and juvenile justice systems as many youth exit these systems to homelessness; and

“(B) work to reunify youth with their family when safe and appropriate.”.