Currently, there is very little evidence on how to meet the needs of youth and young adults who have been involved in the child welfare system. 

The Children’s Bureau, within the Administration for Children and Families (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services) is funding a multi-phase grant program to build the evidence base on what works to prevent homelessness among this population.This program is referred to as Youth At-Risk of Homelessness (YARH). 

YARH focuses on three populations: (1) adolescents who enter foster care between 14 and 17, (2) young adults aging out of foster care, and (3) homeless youth/young adults with foster care histories up to 21. 

The Framework to End Youth Homelessness: A Resource Text for Dialogue and Action (USICH, 2013), presents a data strategy for understanding the size and characteristics of homeless youth populations. 

This brief reports on results of the first national effort to implement the Framework’s youth data strategy for an important at-risk population - youth and young adults with child welfare involvement. The effort involved 18 states and communities across the country that received federal funding.