Caring for and connecting with homeless adolescents.

Adolescents from a variety of backgrounds are among the growing number of homeless Americans. Although they lack maturity and various skills, they manage to survive in dangerous and stressful environments. This article asserts that social policy that leads to services such as housing, education, and healthcare should be based on a philosophy, ethic, and theory of caring and connectedness, which have been shown to protect adolescents as they mature. The article includes brief descriptions of theories of caring, pathways to homelessness for adolescents, survival needs of homeless youth, and characteristics of service programs that incorporate caring and connectedness.