Federal grant to help fight homelessness among youth

A two-year federal grant will help the Clark County Department of Family Services combat homelessness among juveniles and young adults.

The agency on Monday announced it received the grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families, which will provide more than $700,000.

Family Services also has the option to apply for an additional $1 million a year for five years, officials said in a news release. The funding will be used to develop an intervention program to prevent long-term homelessness among at-risk youth and young adults involved in the child welfare system.

There are about 550 children and teens receiving independent living services through Family Services, the release said. The agency estimates as many as 80 percent of youth in the program are at high risk for homelessness.

Contact reporter Yesenia Amaro at yamaro@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0440.