By Adriana Tatum Howard, Executive Director, Park Place.

No teenager ever aspires to become homeless, running from the very people who were supposed to care and protect him. However, 1.6 to 2.8 million teens run away from home each year in the U.S., according to the National Runaway Switchboard.

The runaway problem goes hand in hand with housing instability. According to Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, approximately 4.2 million young people ages 13 to 25 experience some sort of homelessness in the United States each year, with considerably more experiencing crises that put them at risk of facing similar housing insecurity. Once a young person faces the instability associated with homelessness – whether they are couch surfing, staying in shelters, or sleeping on the streets – the consequences can be far-reaching.

Young people in Georgia are not immune to this national problem. According to the Georgia Alliance to end Homelessness, more than 45,500 children experience homelessness each year. Last year, the National Runaway Safeline reported more than 1,000 young people in Georgia called its crisis hotline.

So, what can be done in the face of this daunting problem? Before we can prevent something from happening, we have to understand the causes of the behavior.

Youth run away for a variety of reasons. The most common issues discussed with the National Runaway Safeline during 2021 include: family issues, abuse, mental health, and peer issues. Kids who run away are often mislabeled as “bad kids,” when they are actually good kids experiencing bad situations.

As Executive Director of Park Place Outreach, a nonprofit that provides programming for homeless, runaway, and at-risk youth in our community, I know that runaway and homeless youth are not the sum of their experiences. They are individuals with hopes and dreams, resiliency, strengths, and skills. As parents, keeping a good relationship and open communication with your teen is the best strategy for preventing your child from running away. It’s important to actively listen and empathize with their point of view and their struggles. Give your teen choices, not orders, to help instill responsibility and problem-solving skills.

It’s also critical for youth to form meaningful connections in the community, build supportive relationships, have a safe place to go in times of crisis, and develop coping and problem-solving skills. If you have the opportunity and inclination to work with youth in our community, you may be the one person encouraging them and keeping them from making a poor life decision.

At Park Place, we provide services to at-risk youth and their families, increase their functional level, and reunify families whenever possible. During the month of November, we will be working to raise awareness about the issue of teen runaways.

Join us as we “shine a light” on the experiences of runaway youth by wearing green on November 16 and lighting your residence or business with a green light on November 17. It takes all of us working together to support youth who have run away or are experiencing homelessness. After all, as Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”

Adriana Tatum-Howard is the Executive Director of Park Place, which has served more than 6,500 teens across the Coastal Empire, providing emergency shelter, meals, and counseling to at-risk youth and their families, since 1984. To learn more, visit parkplaceyes.org.