Youth safety program rolled out in six cities

An article in the New York Times describes a youth safety program being rolled out in six cities has been funded by a Department of Justice grant to raise the awareness of youth safety. The grants allow social groups to partner with businesses to provide these youth without temporary assistance during their time of need. In theory, a troubled youth walks into a store, asks for assistance. This sets off a call to a 24-hour hot line that dispatches a counselor to the scene. The counselor will then try to find temporary shelter arrangements and try to set up a reconciliation with the family. If that doesn't happen, the Department of Youth and Family Services is called in.

This program is meant to set up an alternative to the usual police station visit that these at-risk youth often end up facing.