Alabama
Quick Facts: South Dakota
Performance Breakdown
-
Law & Policy: 48% of metrics met
-
Laws authorizing comprehensive supports and services for youth experiencing homelessness: 42% of metrics met
-
Preventing youth experiencing homelessness from coming into contact with the criminal and juvenile justice systems: 43% of metrics met
-
Providing unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness the opportunity to seek legal independence and live independently: 88% of metrics met
-
Addressing the educational needs of youth experiencing homelessness: 17% of metrics met
-
Allowing youth experiencing homelessness to access critical supports and services: 50% of metrics met
-
-
Systems: 61% of metrics met
-
Environment: 6% of metrics met
State Score 2022: 43
State Ranking 2022: 47
2022 Score
2021 Score
43
42
South Dakota Highlights
One area where South Dakota has moved the needle relative to other states is in providing unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness the opportunity to seek legal independence and live independently.
Law & Policy
-
The state allows youth in foster care to access extended foster care services to age 21 under limited circumstances.
-
State law provides youth experiencing homelessness some contract rights.
-
The state doesn’t consider running away a criminal offense.
Systems
-
There is a current state plan to end homelessness that contains a youth-specific strategy component.
Environment
-
The state promotes safe and inclusive environments in child welfare programs by providing protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Recommendations for Improvement
There is room for improvement in the Mount Rushmore State across each category. Laws authorizing comprehensive supports and services for youth experiencing homelessness, addressing their educational needs, and protecting the rights and interests of youth experiencing homelessness, including LGBTQ youth, should be prioritized.
Law & Policy
-
The state should pass a law that funds and provides oversight and regulation to youth homelessness services.
-
The state should allow shelters to take in youth experiencing homelessness with a delay or waiver of notification requirements.
-
The state should explicitly allow partial and alternative school credit accrual for homeless youth through regulations.
-
The state should explicitly allow unaccompanied youth under 18 to apply for health insurance coverage without parental consent.
Systems
-
The state should pass a law that funds and provides oversight and regulation to youth homelessness services.
-
The state should allow shelters to take in youth experiencing homelessness with a delay or waiver of notification requirements.
-
The state should explicitly allow partial and alternative school credit accrual for homeless youth through regulations.
-
The state should explicitly allow unaccompanied youth under 18 to apply for health insurance coverage without parental consent.
Environment
-
Create a state entity – such as an Office of Homeless Youth Services – that focuses solely on designing, implementing, and evaluating youth homelessness programs.
-
Create an Interagency Council on Homelessness that mirrors the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), providing a multi-sectoral approach to preventing and ending youth homelessness.