NCJ Number
137781
Date Published
1992
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Stepping Stone is a Los Angeles licensed crisis shelter for youths aged 7 to 17, who may stay up to 14 days. The program services include counseling; social services; medical, legal, and educational advocacy; information and referral; and follow-up.
Abstract
In 7 years, Stepping Stone has provided shelter services to over 1,250 youths from various ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Of these residents, 44 percent have reported family violence as the main reason they left home; 43 percent report abuse before they enter Stepping Stone and another 20 percent disclose abuse during their stay. More than half have been expelled or suspended from school or have dropped out. Stepping Stone requires parental consent for prospective residents. Each resident enters into a contract outlining his plans and goals for the stay. He must agree to make contact with the Department of Children and Youth Services, find alternative living arrangements, find a job, read about birth control and venereal diseases, do house chores, participate in self-evaluation, and participate in counseling. In follow-up studies, 94.5 percent of those youths who were reunited with their families were contacted. At 2 and 6 months following their discharge from Stepping Stone, 57 and 54 percent, respectively, were still at home and reporting improved family relationships. After a year, less than 43 percent of those reunited youths could be reached.