July 18, 2018

Duckworth Announces $1.6 Million for the National Runaway Safeline

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced a total of $1,600,000 in federal funding today for the National Runaway Safeline (NRS). This funding comes through U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and will assist the NRS in fulfilling their mission to keep runaways, homeless and at-risk youth safe and off the street.

“Every child should have access to a safe place to sleep at night,” said Duckworth. “Yet, far too many young Americans end up on the street with nowhere to go. The National Runaway Safeline is critical in helping youth in times of need, and this funding will bring us closer to our shared goal of keeping runaways, homeless and at-risk youth safe. I will continue working to make sure NRS and organizations like it get the necessary federal support to protect our children.”

“The National Runaway Safeline (NRS) is proud and honored to once again serve as the national communication system for runaway and homeless youth,” said National Runaway Safeline Executive Director Maureen Blaha. “As the only organization to have ever received that distinction, NRS is well qualified to continue to keep America’s runaway, homeless and at-risk youth safe and off the streets.  We appreciate Senator Duckworth’s support and recognition of the history of NRS being a lifeline for teens since 1971.”

Senator Duckworth has long been an outspoken advocate in the fight to eliminate homelessness. In 2017, Senator Duckworth along with U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced a resolution recognizing November as National Runaway Prevention Month to help raise awareness of the runaway and homeless youth crisis and educated the public on how to end youth homelessness.

Duckworth also hosted a roundtable in Chicago where she discussed with local leaders and advocates the effects of homelessness and the President’s 2017 proposal to eliminate the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) funding and slash the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) budget.

The NRS is a 24-hour communication system created to assist runaway and homeless youth as well as their parents or guardians. NRS offers various services and programs including prevention and educational materials as well as an array of free messaging services for at risk youth and their parents.

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