Recipients Gallery

Youth In Need

364 Employees | 49 Years

Youth In Need’s mission is to build on the strengths of children, youth and families so they find safety, hope and success in life.

Mission Statement

Youth In Need’s mission is to build on the strengths of children, youth and families so they find safety, hope and success in life.

Originally established as a youth crisis shelter, YIN has expanded into a continuum of services for vulnerable children, youth, and their families in the St. Louis Region (St. Louis City and St. Louis, St. Charles, Lincoln, Warren and Montgomery Counties).

Impact

Youth In Need (YIN) is a trusted organization in our community dedicated to helping children, youth, and families succeed by building on their strengths. In 2022, youth and families gave Youth In Need a 93% satisfaction rating. Youth In Need meets the education, crisis support, housing, and mental health needs of over 8,000 St. Louis metro area children, youth, and their families through the following programs:

  • School and community-based counseling for children and youth
    + In 2022, Youth In Need provided counseling to 2,810 youth, and more than 80% improved their mental health.
  • Foster-care and adoption case management
    + In 2022, 42 youth in foster care found forever homes.
  • “Safe Place” youth presentations in schools and a 24/7 helpline for direct intervention
    + In 2022, more than 900 Safe Place locations were ready to welcome youth in crisis at a moment’s notice.
  • Street Outreach to youth who are homeless or at risk of being so
    + In 2022, 65 youth who experienced homelessness transitioned to safety.
  • Emergency Youth Shelter for youth in crisis
    + In 2022, 91% of youth left our shelter to move into a safe, stable living environment.
  • Transitional Living, including group homes, apartments, and rapid rehousing
    + In 2022, 71% transitioned to independence after discharge.
  • Early Learning Program for children birth to five years old
    + In 2022, 88% of children exceeded their developmental milestones.

Youth In Need is exceptionally positioned to deliver successful outcomes and significant community impact in the St. Louis region. With the support of the Dana Brown Charitable Trust, Youth In Need continues to work towards its mission of creating a hopeful and successful future for the most vulnerable members of our community.

Most recently, Dana Brown Charitable Trust awarded grants to support our youth emergency and traditional housing programs. The need for these services is significant. The region lost 32 beds available to homeless youth over the last two years when local youth emergency shelters closed. In 2023, YIN served 13% more unduplicated youth in its Shelter than in 2022. Further, the average initial intake well-being score compared to the previous three years has seen a 20% decrease, indicating that youth coming to the shelter are in a greater level of distress and are more likely to have clinically significant symptoms.

YIN is the only agency in the region that operates an emergency youth shelter able to meet the unique needs of the target population, including female, male, and transgender youth. Further, YIN staff have experience in urban, suburban, and rural areas. YIN is the only runaway/homeless youth provider in Lincoln and Warren counties, where, according to Continuum of Care data, the Point In Time count for homeless youth has increased yearly for the last five years.

Runaway/homeless youth are at increased risk of engaging in illegal and unsafe survival strategies and being victimized. Combined with the likelihood of school drop-out, involvement in the legal system, untreated mental illness, and substance use, homeless youth are in desperate need of support.