The National Runaway Switchboard reports that due to the economic crisis more and more children are living on the street in the United States. As more people are reduced to poverty due to lay-offs, inadequate services and rising prices, children are feeling the pinch. There is no clear picture to the number of children that run away from home in the United States. Estimates put the number at 1.6 million. Luckily most of these return to home within a week, many with the assistance of the National Runaway Switchboard. Others stay on the street for a longer period of time. Contacts with runaways through governmental outreach programmes have risen to 761,000 in 2008. The number of contacts was 550,000 in 2002 and declined in 2007. The number of programmes remained constant.

Children are not allowed to rent apartments or a hotel in a room by themselves. Due to the economic crisis, less jobs are available. Due to this, children on the street are forced to resort to illegal activities, such are selling drugs, panhandling or prostitution.

The National Runaway Switchboard was founded in 1974 to assist children that have run away from their home. In 2008 the child helpline had more than 76,000 contacts with children who had run away or were debating to do so. NRS provides children with counselling and brings those who are in need in contact with shelters, care homes and other services. NRS always follows up with the organisations to make sure that the child has been taken care of.

For more information on this item, please see the article by the NY Times.

For more information on the National Runaway Switchboard, please see their website.