Quick Facts: North Dakota
Performance Breakdown
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Law & Policy: 48% of metrics met
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Laws authorizing comprehensive supports and services for youth experiencing homelessness: 50% of metrics met
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Preventing youth experiencing homelessness from coming into contact with the criminal and juvenile justice systems: 43% of metrics met
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Providing unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness the opportunity to seek legal independence and live independently: 75% of metrics met
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Addressing the educational needs of youth experiencing homelessness: 17% of metrics met
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Allowing youth experiencing homelessness to access critical supports and services: 50% of metrics met
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Systems: 28% of metrics met
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Environment: 12% of metrics met
State Score 2022: 38
State Ranking 2022: 50
2022 Score
2021 Score
38
36
North Dakota Highlights
North Dakota has not moved the needle relative to other states in any key areas, but there are some individual policies worth highlighting.
Law & Policy
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The state allows youth in foster care to access extended foster care services to age 21 under certain circumstances and allows youth who have exited the foster care system after 18 to re-enter through the age of 21.
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State law provides youth experiencing homelessness some contract rights.
Systems
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There is a state interagency council on homelessness.
Environment
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The state establishes protected class status based on one's sexual orientation and gender identity for child welfare programs.
Recommendations for Improvement
There is room for improvement throughout the metrics for the Peace Garden State, with emphasis throughout all categories. Laws authorizing comprehensive supports and services for youth experiencing homelessness, and protecting the rights and interests of youth experiencing homelessness, including LGBTQ youth, should be prioritized.
Law & Policy
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Reduce opportunities for contact between youth experiencing homelessness and the criminal and juvenile justice systems by declassifying running away as a status or delinquent offense.
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Enact a law or regulation to allow shelters to take in youth experiencing homelessness with a delay or waiver of notification requirements.
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The state should explicitly allow partial and alternative school credit accrual for homeless youth through regulations.
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The state explicitly should allow unaccompanied youth under 18 to apply for health insurance coverage (without parental consent).
Systems
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The state should create and adopt a public plan to end homelessness that include a strategy to address homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth.
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Create a state entity – such as an Office of Homeless Youth Services – that focuses solely on designing, implementing, and evaluating youth homelessness programs.
Environment
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The state should establish and maintain stipends for a community advisory board that informs youth homelessness policy (Youth Action Board).
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The state should require training about sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, healthy sexual development or issues specific to LGBTQ+ youth for staff working in RHY Systems.
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The state should establish nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ youth in youth homelessness services.
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Ban harmful and ineffective service provision that includes conversion therapy.