Episode 224: Homeless & Runaway Youth with Maureen Blaha

Today on the podcast we talk about the the youth and adolescents who have run away.

• Why kids runaway.
• What parents can do.
• How kids can get help.

And the incredible job that the National Runaway Safeline is doing to help.

Maureen Blaha is the executive director of the National Runaway Safeline (NRS), the federally-designated national communication system for runaway and homeless youth. Under her leadership, the visibility of NRS and awareness of its 1-800-RUNAWAY hotline has grown, while support has steadily increased in both personnel and finances.

Maureen has instituted several key accomplishments during tenure including: a program focused on runaway prevention called Let’s Talk: Runaway Prevention Curriculum, as well as National Runaway Prevention Month, an annual campaign to increase awareness of the issues facing runaway youth and to educate youth, families and the public about resources available to prevent youth from running away. 

Maureen has been a featured speaker of the Special Victims Assistance Unit for the FBI (2005 and 2010), was invited to speak to UK parliament to help launch The Children's Society of England's National Safe and Sound Campaign (2005), and represented the runaway population at the groundbreaking White House Conference on Missing, Exploited and Runaway Children (2002).