Our History

Collaborative Roots

In 1981, three youth service agencies decided to unite in applying for limited federal funding for runaway youth programs. From this collaborative beginning, VCRHYP has grown to include 13 service providers throughout the state of Vermont. As a result of our efforts, Vermont offers a national model for delivering runaway & homeless youth programs that ensures services to the entire state rather than just a small number of towns, cities or locales. Only two other states in the country (Hawaii & Wisconsin) currently take a coalition approach. We believe that our collaborative organization strengthens support for all Vermont’s youth, not only those who live in communities that can afford local programs.

A Coalition Committed to All Vermont Youth

VCRHYP is committed to the principles of Positive Youth Development (PYD). A central tenet of PYD is that it is not enough to fix a problem for a youth or family if they are not also gaining personal resiliency by developing real-world skills.

Our goal is to ensure continued funding for crucial youth services in an uncertain economic climate. As Vermont’s economy continues to struggle, services to support families have become even more important. However, declining state revenue jeopardizes state funding for all human service programs. Our goal is to secure adequate funding for programs to meet the growing needs of some of Vermont’s most vulnerable citizens. Effective advocacy and partnership with the Vermont Legislature and State government will be central to our effort.

VCRHYP is launching an exciting pilot project with the Vermont Agency of Human Services. The Coalition is engaging in a year of training and database development that will help all members build and measure resiliency factors among the youth they serve. Central to this project is a commitment by the Coalition to create an outcome based on our ability to help youth identify and develop their strengths in the midst of personal crises. 

At the heart of our work is our commitment to VCRHYP’s TLP programs and assets. The typical TLP program supports a part-time employee carrying a caseload of as many as 20 youth. TLPs need additional resources to increase the number of TLP counselors able to serve young people, and to increase housing options and supports for youth needing assistance. As job opportunities continue to shrink and as average entry-level wages grow increasingly out of synch with the cost of living in Vermont, this service has grown increasingly important.

In addition to our commitment to Vermont, VCRHYP is working with a leadership group to implement national policies governing the Federal Runaway and Homeless Youth Act. Through our involvement with the National Network for Youth’s National Council on Youth Policy, we are helping to promulgate an understanding of the changes that were made to the Federal Runaway and Homeless Youth Act during its most recent reauthorization. Many of these changes were extremely positive, including requiring the Federal government to conduct a national census of runaway and homeless youth, increasing the length of stay allowed in both Basic Center and TLP under federal grant guidelines and, most important, increasing the amount of federal funding that Congress can allocate to fund programs such as VCRHYP.