Principles
- Understand youth as whole people who are part of families and communities.
- We need to be holistic in our approaches
- Services and supports should respond to the uniqueness of neighbourhoods, communities, and youth
- Youth have a right to lead the development of their own plans, and be supported during and after transitions.
- Transitions should not lead to homelessness
- There needs to be shared accountability during transitions
- Ending youth homelessness requires a planned transition into healthy adulthood and interdependence
- Build on what is working.
- All youth have strengths
- Evidence and research should inform our approaches
- Local service providers have existing capacity, profound understanding of the issues, and trusting relationships with youth; build on them
- Youth self-identify what they want and need.
- Start with youth at the centre
- We need to expand choices for youth and listen to them
- Culture is central to who people are; we must be culturally competent
- Youth homelessness is not acceptable, and we all have a role in preventing and ending it.
- Reconciliation is about all of us and necessitates transforming how we work together
- All stakeholders, including families, communities, Indigenous peoples, community-based organizations, governments, and funders need to be included and have a responsibility to collaborate and align in the best interests of youth
- Decision-making processes must recognize power dynamics and promote self-determination of youth
- Equitable practices support fair outcomes for oppressed individuals and groups