Runaway and Throwaway Youth: Time for Policy Changes and Public Responsibility

The traditional American dream of owning a home, obtaining a college education, and working at a good, paying job is only that, a dream, for scores of homeless youth in America today. There is a growing street population of young people who have been thrown out of their homes by their caretakers or their families, and who face life-threatening situations each day. For these youth, the furthest thing in their lives is reaching the so-called “American Dream;” and their most immediate need is survival, simply living out the day in front of them. They have few options that lead to a decent and safe living environment. Their age, lack of work experience, and absence of a high school diploma make it most difficult to find a job. As a result, they turn to other means for survival; runaways and throwaways are most vulnerable to falling prey to the sex trade, selling drugs, or being lured into human trafficking, and some steal or panhandle. Street youth end up spending their nights in bus stations or finding a room in an abandoned building or an empty stairwell to sleep. Attempting to identify a specific number of homeless youth is difficult at best, but what is even more perplexing is our continued inability to effectively protect our children. We are left with a basic question framed by the fundamental tenets of justice: what is a community’s responsibility to its youth who, for whatever reason, end up living on the streets or in unsafe, abusive environments? The purpose of this paper is to briefly outline the characteristics of homeless youth, in particular differentiating between throwaways and runaways; explore the current federal response to homeless youth; and finally, address the nagging question that swirls around all children: can we aggressively aspire to be a community where every child is healthy and safe, and able to realize his or her fullest potential?

Maternal Role & High-Risk Pregnancy Experience with Antepartum Hospitalization

Purpose. The focus of maternal role development, historically, has been on the tasks and processes during pregnancy as they relate to postpartum role transition. The purpose of this study was to investigate how women hospitalized with high-risk pregnancy cognitively construct pregnancy and impending motherhood. ^ Design. The study employed a triangulation design using a convergence model with a dominant focused ethnographic approach. ^ Setting. The antepartum units of two tertiary care centers in a large metropolitan city in southeast Texas. ^ Sample. Data saturation was determined with thirteen (13) primigravid women who had been hospitalized more than 72 hours with preterm labor (PTL) or preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) who subsequently delivered seventeen (17) infants which included 4 sets of twins. ^ Methods. Open-ended, semi-structured interviews and field work were used to explore the development of maternal role in this population. After collecting descriptive data, long individual interviews were conducted and the Prenatal Self Evaluation Questionnaire (PSEQ), an instrument to measure prenatal adaptation to pregnancy, was administered. The interview focused on exploring the woman's experiences of pregnancy and impending motherhood while hospitalized. Interview data and field notes were coded and analyzed using qualitative thematic analytic techniques. The PSEQ was scored and the findings of the qualitative data and PSEQ data were compared. ^ Findings. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data provided an understanding of the cognitive process that occurs as the pregnant woman builds a relationship with the fetus. Thematic analysis resulted in a conceptual model with two complementary components that occur throughout the pregnancy: Establishing a Relationship and Dynamic Equilibrium. Establishing a Relationship includes subthemes of: Courting, Building a Connection, and Engagement. Dynamic equilibrium is the balance between expectations and reality and exists regardless of pregnancy complications. The negotiation of this potential imbalance is triggered by uncertainty, loss of autonomy and control, and isolation and is exacerbated by the high-risk pregnancy and subsequent hospitalization. These triggers can serve as obstacles to maternal role development, but may be mediated by external support from friends and family or health care providers. Support from others may come in the form of anticipatory guidance, presence, or activities that promote self-agency. PSEQ scores were similar to previous reports, but due to the small sample, scores were used primarily for comparison to qualitative data. The qualitative findings were congruent with the PSEQ findings in all of the subscales except in the concern for the well-being of the baby. Interview reports included comments demonstrating significant concern for the well-being of the infant, yet the related subscale did not demonstrate such concern. ^ Conclusions. An understanding of the cognitive process involved in establishing a relationship with the developing fetus related to impending motherhood and the importance of dynamic equilibrium can allow healthcare providers and those who interact with pregnant women to support development of the maternal role and anticipate those barriers that may impede that process. Findings from this study identify those triggers and mediators that influence development of the maternal role and suggest potential intervening strategies for those involved in the care of childbearing families. ^

Translating Rhetoric to Reality: The Future of Family and Children's Services

These remarks were first prepared by the author for the inauguration of the Marion Elizabeth Blue Endowed Professorship in Children and Families at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. They were delivered on October 5, 1999, and originally appeared as a monograph published by the University of Michigan School of Social Work in December 1999. They are reprinted here by permission.