National Runaway Safeline

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Resources for International Youth & Families

The National Runaway Safeline offers crisis intervention services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to young people and families, as well as service providers nationwide. For 50 years, our mission has been to keep America’s runaway, homeless and at-risk youth safe and off the streets; however, the issues we address are not confined to the U.S, they are experienced globally.  

While NRS provides services and connects people to programs and organizations across the United States and U.S. territories, we are familiar with many reputable international resources that are making a difference in lives of people worldwide.  

With the ravages of war so visibly impacting families today, we want to share a list of notable organizations that serve youth in crisis and families throughout the world.  

  • Caretakers Cottage (Australia) – This organization works to nurture and care for homeless youth and families in crisis, giving them the resources and skills needed to succeed.  
  • Covenant House/Casa Alianza (Latin America) – Serving children and teenagers who are abused, trafficked, abandoned, or facing poverty and homelessness, Covenant House provides young people with shelter and rehabilitation, keeping them safe and off the streets.  
  • FEANTSA (Europe) – The European Federation of National Organizations bring together nonprofit services, such as data collection, engaging with European institutions, exchanging information, and raising awareness in 30 different countries with the goal of bringing an end to homelessness in Europe.  
  • Help Guide (Global) – Help Guide runs one of the world’s top 10 mental health websites. Over 50 million people from around the world turn to Help Guide each year for trustworthy content they can use to improve their mental health and make healthy changes. Help Guide’s website also offers an extensive list of direct crisis hotlines in various countries. 
  • Middle Eastern Children’s Alliance (Middle East) – MECA works to protect the rights and improve the lives of children in the Middle East through aid, empowerment and education.  
  • SOS Children’s Villages (Global) – Working in several countries, SOS Children’s Villages is dedicated to the long-term care of orphaned youth and the prevention of child abandonment, trafficking, and other threats to safety. 
  • Yfoundations (Australia) – Yfoundations responds to at-risk and homeless youth, offering prevention programs and working to end youth homelessness.  
  • Youth Off the Streets (Tanzania, Indonesia, & East Timor) – Youth Off the Streets provides non-religious and non-discriminatory assistance – including housing, education, health and welfare facilities and programs – to children in countries emerging from conflict and other challenges. 
  • Voices of Children Foundation (Ukraine) – This foundation offers psychological and psychosocial support to young people and families affected by war, conflict, and development, while also assisting with evacuation support.  
  • UNICEF (Global) – UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfil their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

We hope you find these resources helpful. We encourage you to share this list with family and friends in other countries who may need assistance finding support. If you need any assistance locating resources in the United States, please contact the National Runaway Safeline’s hotline (1-800-RUNAWAY) or online crisis services at 1800RUNAWAY.org. Our trained staff will be there to help connect you to the resources you need in your community. 

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