This Administration for Children and Families (ACF) blogpost, published by the Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, describes activities associated with this year’s observance of National Runaway Prevention Month to raise awareness of the challenges that face homeless youth. This commemoration focuses on prevention services and promotes greater understanding of why young people are homeless; in many cases, youth are asked to leave home or do so because they see no other way to improve their situation. The Family and Youth Services Bureau is cited as a key player in the effort to end youth homelessness, domestic violence, and adolescent pregnancy.

This Child Trends report evaluates Nebraska’s Bridge to Independence (b2i) program for young adults who have recently exited from the foster care system. The program offers supportive services such as medical care, housing, and case management and assists participants as they attain education and employment in coordination with an assigned independence coordinator. This report’s assessment of qualitative and quantitative impacts of b2i are incorporated as part of the Nebraska Children’s Commission 2018-2019 Annual Report and will be used to set future priorities on the b2i program expansion.