America’s Youngest Outcasts

People's Emergency Center had a forum yesterday (see attached) on homeless youth in Philly and Jennifer Linn, who is one of the only reporters covering this topic over the last couple of years, did a write up.

It doesn't sound like there is much 'news' here. It is the same story for the hundreds of kids in city shelters and thousands who are homeless everyday.

As an outreach worker seeing homeless children, and hearing stories of Office of Supportive Housing case workers suggesting parents give up their children in order to get shelter, was definitely the hardest part of the job.

Meanwhile State Republicans work to cut housing and education programs for kids. Here's to hoping that out of the wreckage of this economy and supply-side mentality comes some paradigm shift that will make a change for kids in shelter and on the street.

Here is a photo-essay by Sarah Bones about one family in shelter:
http://www.sarahbones.com/photos/Stories/16/62/