Guidelines for

Homeless Youth Population Survey  

A Project of the Garden State Coalition 
for Youth and Family Concerns, Inc.
330 Washington Street
Newark, NJ  07102 (973) 286-3404

V.  TIME PERIOD OF SURVEY


Time Frame. The proposed survey period is one month. 

Actual Count. The actual count should be conducted four days per week. Three (3) of those days should coincide with the organization's regular street outreach program days It is recommended that one month period include Saturdays. 

Hours. The recommended hours of outreach should be during the evening. Depending on the location, a few hours of outreach may be scheduled during the daytime. Organizations should also be knowledgeable of any local curfews for youth under the age of 18. 



VI. SCOPE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION

The scope of the information collected will fall into two phases. These phases reflect the requirements of federal agencies in documenting, the size and the needs of the population, as well as the gaps in services. The survey of homeless youth will focus on size of the population, and contribute the establishment of a continuum of care for homeless youth. 

Sources
A summary of the sources for the description and enumeration of the homeless youth population includes:

• Runaway and Homeless Youth Street Outreach Program

• Survey of Shelters and Food Kitchens (with data focused on identification of youth without families ages 11-21)

• Data from Existing Institutions
  

  •  Law Enforcement Agencies

  • Juvenile Justice

  • Foster Care

  • Adult Prison System 

  • School System

For each of these sources, a description of the plan, processes or methodologies follows.

Back to IV Basic Assumptions

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