34 U.S.C. § 11281 — Definitions

In this subchapter: (1) **Drug abuse education and prevention services** — The term “drug abuse education and prevention services”— (A) means services to runaway and homeless youth to prevent or reduce the illicit use of drugs by such youth; and (B) may include— (i) individual, family, group, and peer counseling; (ii) drop-in services; (iii) assistance to runaway and homeless youth in rural areas (including the development of community support groups); (iv) information and training relating to the illicit use of drugs by runaway and homeless youth, to individuals involved in providing services to such youth; and (v) activities to improve the availability of local drug abuse prevention services to runaway and homeless youth. (2) **Home-based services** — The term “home-based services”— (A) means services provided to youth and their families for the purpose of— (i) preventing such youth from running away, or otherwise becoming separated, from their families; and (ii) assisting runaway youth to return to their families; and (B) includes services that are provided in the residences of families (to the extent practicable), including— (i) intensive individual and family counseling; and (ii) training relating to life skills and parenting. (3) **Homeless youth** — The term “homeless”, used with respect to a youth, means an individual— (A) who is— (i) less than 21 years of age, or, in the case of a youth seeking shelter in a center under part A, less than 18 years of age, or is less than a higher maximum age if the State where the center is located has an applicable State or local law (including a regulation) that permits such higher maximum age in compliance with licensure requirements for child-and youth-serving 11 So in original. facilities; and (ii) for the purposes of part B, not less than 16 years of age and either— (I) less than 22 years of age; or (II) not less than 22 years of age, as of the expiration of the maximum period of stay permitted under [section 11222(a)(2) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title34-section11222/a/2&num=0&edition=prelim) if such individual commences such stay before reaching 22 years of age; (B) for whom it is not possible to live in a safe environment with a relative; and (C) who has no other safe alternative living arrangement. (4) **Runaway youth** — The term “runaway”, used with respect to a youth, means an individual who is less than 18 years of age and who absents himself or herself from home or a place of legal residence without the permission of a parent or legal guardian. (5) **Street-based services** — The term “street-based services”— (A) means services provided to runaway and homeless youth, and street youth, in areas where they congregate, designed to assist such youth in making healthy personal choices regarding where they live and how they behave; and (B) may include— (i) identification of and outreach to runaway and homeless youth, and street youth; (ii) crisis intervention and counseling; (iii) information and referral for housing; (iv) information and referral for transitional living and health care services; (v) advocacy, education, and prevention services related to— (I) alcohol and drug abuse; (II) sexual exploitation; (III) sexually transmitted diseases, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); and (IV) physical and sexual assault. (6) **Street youth** — The term “street youth” means an individual who— (A) is— (i) a runaway youth; or (ii) indefinitely or intermittently a homeless youth; and (B) spends a significant amount of time on the street or in other areas that increase the risk to such youth for sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, prostitution, or drug abuse. (7) **Transitional living youth project** — The term “transitional living youth project” means a project that provides shelter and services designed to promote a transition to self-sufficient living and to prevent long-term dependency on social services. (8) **Youth at risk of separation from the family** — The term “youth at risk of separation from the family” means an individual— (A) who is less than 18 years of age; and (B) (i) who has a history of running away from the family of such individual; (ii) whose parent, guardian, or custodian is not willing to provide for the basic needs of such individual; or (iii) who is at risk of entering the child welfare system or juvenile justice system as a result of the lack of services available to the family to meet such needs.