A teen center is a place where kids without a stable place to call home can go and grab food, clothes or other resources, and also confide in a counselor. With more than 15,000 housing insecure students in Utah, advocates say the resource is crucial.
across the state. The Policy Project is also fundraising for more than $5 million from donors to supplement state funds. Gov. Spencer Cox also signaled support for the idea — recommending $20 million for “Teen Centers for Students Experiencing Homelessness,” in hisThe centers could be the connective thread for an often complicated net of social services and make navigating housing insecurity a little easier. They could “help kids understand what their options are,” Bell McCormick said.
East High School in the Salt Lake City School District and Hillcrest High School in Midvale, in the Canyons School District, also have centers. That can mean kids experiencing homelessness, living on their own, or couch surfing. School districts and others across the state rely on the McKinney-Vento counts to understand how many students are classified as homeless. School districts can apply for federal funds, but resources to help students vary greatly across communities. “The resources are inadequate,” said Bell McCormick. She appreciates the federal program, but added “it’s just that we could do a better job of supporting it.
Thompson graduated from North Ridge in 1995 and could have benefitted from the resource she now helps provide. Her father struggled to hold a job and her mom worked at a Taco Bell. The family had a hard time keeping a roof over their heads with limited incomes.
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