Topic: Welcome (2 posts)

What a thrill - being part of a launch of a national blog devoted entirely to young people who are homeless, runaway, and/or street-involved and the programs and individuals that work with them.

We often refer to runaway/homeless/street-involved or at-risk youth as disenfranchised. That moniker takes on new meaning at this time since we are embroiled in a number of political contests that will determine what life is like for every child in our nation.

The young and old are the two groups most effected by government policies. Issues of war, education, job development, social services, health care, access to higher education, and much more, have implications for the daily lives of young people. How we spend out tax dollars today, the economy and the growing deficit will impact the future for every child and senior in our nation.

Senior citizens vote. Maybe its time to give youth the right to vote. After all its their future we are mortgaging. What makes the age of 18 the right age? Why not 16, why not 14?

If young people could vote, would their safety net be that much stronger? What do you think?

Welcome to the launch of an exciting new venture in the youth services field: Safety Net For Youth. My name is Josh Abner and I m the communications director for National Safe Place, a leading national non-profit focused on isting runaway and homeless youth (RHY).

One of the things that has frustrated me in joining the youth services world -- I started at Safe Place a year ago after working in horse racing (how s that for switching gears) -- is the lack of news outlets/forums for discussion on the field. Youth Today is an excellent resource, but I sense a need for additional avenues where youth work practitioners, especially those in the RHY community, can discuss the issues.

We at National Safe Place would like to add to this dialogue. As part of our 25th anniversary celebration, "Building A Safety Net For Youth," we ve created this new information site that will focus on youth work and specifically RHY issues. We ve embled an amazing team of regular contributors from across the youth work spectrum ? direct care workers, development and marketing/communication professionals, regional training and technical istance providers, agency executives and national partners from all parts of the country ? to discuss the hot topics that we all deal daily, and also educate friends and members of the public interested in our cause. Look for our contributors to start in introducing themselves in the coming days.

Our aim is to make Safety Net For Youth a daily destination. In addition to commentary from our contributors look for regular Safety Net Updates, compilations of news clips that touch on issues related to at-risk youth, and our Safety Net Top 25s. Each month we ll join with a national partner to highlight tips, resources or concerns related to a major youth service issue. We ll also conduct interviews, host guest commentators and report news to keep you better informed and connected.

I d also like to take this opportunity to recognize CSX, a company committed to helping keep young people safe. Without their support Safety Net For Youth would not be possible.

Your participation and feedback is essential to our effort. Please comment on our posts and send us your thoughts and ideas on issues we should discuss. I hope you ll join us in this endeavor. Through our collective efforts we ensure the security of and provide the safety net for our greatest resource ? young people.

Regards,
Josh