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Out-of-School Youth – those currently not attending school and who had not graduated from high school – comprise the largest group of at-risk youth. The Child Trends report found that this group included about 230,000 Florida youth in 2005 – comparable to the total combined enrollment of 10 central Florida counties. The report also studied the overlap among some of the categories. For example, 51,000 of the Out-of-School Youth also were Disconnected Youth, meaning they also were unmarried and had no recent work experience. The study calls attention to the critical state of Florida’s at-risk youth. The report makes it clear that allowing Florida’s vulnerable young people to fail will hurt both their personal well-being and the community’s long-term stability. The Eckerd Family Foundation hopes that the report will be used by policymakers, foundations, government agencies and practitioners to improve the policies, programs and funding that serve the state’s vulnerable children and youth. |
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