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CT Mirror Op-Ed Connecticut must identify and help its many homeless children Alicia Woodsby, executive director of the Partnership for Strong Communities August 26, 2014Central to the mission at Partnership for Strong Communities is to build the political and civic will to prevent and end homelessness. As such, in 2013, the Partnership's Reaching Home Campaign, partnered with Yale University and the Center for Children's Advocacy to publish "Invisible No More<http://pschousing.org/files/InvisibleNoMoreReport.pdf>," the state's first-ever comprehensive look at youth homelessness. Researchers interviewed 98 young people who are homeless in Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, New London, and lower Fairfield County and found some disturbing numbers. A third of the youth had dropped out of school. Sixty percent reported that their average income was less than $100 a week. Forty-nine percent reported moving more than six times in their lifetime. Most are couch surfing or staying with others first periods of time. Eighty-nine percent of the youth said they were sexually active, with multiple partners. Nearly 24 percent first experienced sexual intercourse at age 12 or under. Trading sex for a place to sleep was not uncommon. These youth are often unconnected to any kind of services . . . http://ctmirror.org/connecticut-must-identify-and-help-its-homeless-children/ Bonnie Berk Director, Communications Center for Children's Advocacy 860-570-5327 [cid:[log in to unmask]]