Child And Family Charities

Gateway Youth Services

Prevents & ends homelessness for youth and young adults by helping young people and their household members access housing, basic needs, resources, and services to resolve their housing crisis.

24-Hour Crisis Hotline

If you are a youth in crisis or worried about a youth in crisis and would like to talk to someone immediately, contact the 24/hour crisis hotline at 1.877.833.3689.

If you’d like to learn more about our programs and services, click here

General Information

The Gateway Division provides a full continuum of housing assistance and supportive services for youth & young adults experiencing unsafe or unstable housing. This includes young people ages 12-24 who:

Are experiencing family conflict
Are thinking about running away from home
Are staying in an unsafe place
Struggle to access basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, health & hygiene items)
Are staying temporarily with friends or family members who are not legal guardians
Are living outdoors, in cars, in tents or other places not meant for long-term living in Michigan
Lack the income to secure safe and stable living

Gateway team members connect young people to programs and services to resolve their housing crises.

Gateway Youth Services primary goals are:

To prevent youth from running away from home by providing supportive services to resolve family conflict.
To reunify youth who have run away from home with their families whenever family conflict can be safely remedied.
To identify safe living alternatives for youth when family reunification is not possible or in the best interest of the youth or family.
To help young people successfully transition from adolescence to independence.

Street Outreach Program

The Street Outreach team includes young adults with lived experience of homelessness who help locate youth in crisis in areas they are known to congregate. The team carries basic needs supplies and information about resources offering food, drink, hygiene products, transportation and clothing to youth in need. The team’s goal is to meet youth where they are at and work together to solve problems, helping youth access immediate safe shelter, explore longer-term housing options, and ensure youth can access ongoing basic needs. If you are a youth who needs immediate help, please contact our hotline number at 1-877-833-3689. If you know of a location our Street Outreach team should check out, please send us a message.

Contact the 24-hour crisis hotline to schedule a time and location where the Street Team can come to you. 517-882-7217 or toll free at 1-877-833-3689

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Higher Ground Emergency Shelter for Youth ages 12-17

If you are a youth or know a youth who does not have a safe place to sleep tonight or in the near future, please contact our crisis hotline at 1-877-833-3689. Youth are able to stay in our shelter, a licensed child caring institution, with 24-hour supervision by trained staff for up to 3 weeks. Youth work with a case manager to remain in school, build life skills, connect to counseling and other supportive services, learn healthy coping skills, and determine a long-term housing plan.

Prevention Services: For minor youth and their families who are experiencing increasing family conflict. Counseling and case management services are available to support the family in resolving family conflict in order to remain intact. Please contact the crisis hotline at 517-882-7217 or toll free at 1-877-833-3689 to speak to a counselor and schedule your first family assessment.
Emergency Shelter Services: An unaccompanied minor shelter at the Kevin J. Moody Youth Home. The shelter is for minor youth who have left home or have been asked to leave home, short term (up to 21 days) emergency shelter is available while family reunification or alternative safe housing is secured. Contact the crisis hotline at 517-882-7217 or toll free at 1-877-833-3689 to inquire about bed availability.

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Crossroads-Transitonal Living Program for Youth ages 16-21

For youth who can’t go home and can’t afford a place of their own, Crossroads offers a structured housing program. Youth and young adults can reside in the shelter for up to 18 months where they work closely with a case manager to create a long-term housing plan, improve social & emotional health and well-being, build positive, permanent connections with caring adults in the community, and increase life skills. Youth will work to obtain, maintain, and increase income, learn how to budget, better understand what it takes to have a positive relationship with future landlords, and become self-sufficient.

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T.R.U.E (Teens Understanding and Respecting Each-other)

A weekly support and activity group for school-aged LGBTQ+ youth. Teens meet weekly to discuss topics important to LGBTQ+ young people, receive peer and adult support, and engage in activities in their community that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and access to services. While the group is facilitated by adults from the LGBTQ+ community, the discussions and activities are largely chosen by the youth in the group.

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Housing Young Families

Housing Young Families is for young people, ages 17 through 21, who are without permanent safe and stable housing and are either pregnant, parenting, or both. We help all youth regardless of race, color, religion, religious belief, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, or family status.

Learn more about services you are eligible for here