Young people may choose to or be forced to leave their homes due to conflict. Some may run away from home because they are no longer comfortable living there due to abuse. While it is unclear how many of West Virginia’s youth leave home for this reason, the number of reported child mistreatment victims has decreased from about 6,700 in 2019 to about 4,850 in 2025. 

Certain populations are over-represented in unhoused youth. Though 7% of youth identify as LGBTQ+, up to 40% of unhoused youth identify as such. One idea advocates recommend to decrease the number of unhoused LGBTQ+ youth includes ensuring there is inclusive and supportive mental health support for these individuals in schools and shelters. Another common group among unhoused youth is pregnant girls. Chapin Hall found that 10% of unhoused girls in the US under the age of 18 are pregnant, higher than the US average of 5.5%. Several girls indicated that becoming pregnant led to their experiencing homelessness after conflicts with their parents. West Virginia reported that 237 girls under 18 gave birth in 2021, though their housing status was not indicated. Advocates recommend increasing sexual education for youth and providing care for unhoused minor parents.

Federal Assistance for Unhoused Youth

The McKinney-Vento Act is administered by US ED to offer assistance providing rights and services to educate unhoused youth. This law requires each state to have a McKinney-Vento coordinator and each public school district to have a liaison. The district liaison identifies unhoused youth, including through outreach and coordination with other agencies. They also provide referrals for medical, dental, mental health, and housing services. All identified youth are required to be enrolled in school immediately, even without proper identification documents. The child may attend their original school, even if housing is found outside of district bounds, and the liaison arranges their transportation. 

At the December 2025 Joint Committee on Children and Families, the Kanawha County Schools liaison indicated she can provide mattresses, bus passes, cell phones, and iPads with internet connectivity for students. Though each district has a liaison, they are often teachers unable to dedicate enough of their time to this work and may not be able to effectively assist unhoused youth. SB 214 (2025) sought to establish a dedicated homelessness coordinator in each county, but did not pass out of committee. 

Funding for the McKinney-Vento Act is allocated to states by, which distribute funds to school districts. Schools receiving Title 1, Part A funding, which is allocated to schools with the highest percent of students from low-income families to help them meet academic standards, must also reserve some of that allocation to support Mckinney-Vento services. Over 350 schools in all 55 districts in West Virginia receive this type of funding.

State Legislation

There have been recent efforts on homelessness initiatives. Advocates cite getting an ID as a major hurdle, as it is required for jobs, housing, and benefit programs. Pennsylvania’s House recently approved waiving fees for ID cards or licenses for unhoused youth, and is awaiting Senate approval. Students without a permanent address would be able to use their school address on their documents. A similar bill was introduced in Ohio and is in committee. HB 2983 (2025) was a bipartisan effort in West Virginia seeking to waive fees for all unhoused individuals to obtain an ID, driver license, or birth certificate, but did not pass out of committee. Currently, a West Virginia youth ID card is valid for 2 years and costs $10, while an adult ID or driver license is $15 for the first year and another $5 for each additional year. The legislature could revisit this legislation to provide free IDs for unhoused individuals. While the state would forfeit income normally generated by providing these documents, the cost would likely be nominal and benefits may be derived from providing IDs, like income taxes generated by individuals able to obtain work.