Serving the Needs of At-risk Youth
The Youth Services programs provided by Children’s Home & Aid work to save at-risk children from homelessness, drug abuse, foster care placement and involvement in the juvenile justice system.
These youth are often runaways or have been locked out of their homes by their parent or guardian. Others are older youth who need assistance in moving toward stability and independence; youth who are pregnant or parenting; or youth who are in danger of commitment to the Department of Corrections. Some may be at the beginning of a troubling pattern of behavior, such as those who have problems with truancy, family violence or conflict, aggressive behaviors, drug use, school failure or dropout, or gang affiliated activity.
Youth and families are referred to programs in the Youth and Family Counseling unit through a crisis that occurs at a local police department and/or as a non-crisis referral from other social service providers, schools, DCFS, probation, churches or by the individual youth or family.
The Youth Services programs enjoy a high success rate in reuniting and preserving families and in preventing youth from entering the child welfare and juvenile court systems. Of the nearly 800 children and families who took part in Children’s Home & Aid’s Youth Services programs, 95% were reunified or preserved, and 97% of youth remained safe and in their homes with no indicated abuse and neglect reports.
To find out more about Youth Services, select from the links below: