Winter Haven is facing an urgent crisis, with 63 unaccompanied homeless youth (UHY), the youngest being only 8 years old, identified across 19 public schools within the city. These young people are part of a much larger group—400 UHY spread across Polk County, the most for our district—highlighting a growing need for resources and support. Heart for Winter Haven, a local nonprofit organization, has taken significant steps toward addressing this need by laying the groundwork for a group home specifically dedicated to supporting Winter Haven’s unaccompanied homeless youth.
Understanding Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
Unaccompanied homeless youth are defined under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act as children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This includes those living in shelters, hotels, motels, or any place not designed for human habitation, as well as those “couch-surfing” from place to place. The instability and barriers faced by these young people place them at greater risk of missing school, lacking access to healthcare, and being unable to meet their basic needs.
In Polk County, the Hearth Project identifies and supports these vulnerable students. Through partnerships with schools and the wider community, the Hearth Project uses outreach and data to identify youth experiencing homelessness and work toward finding them stable housing, educational resources, and emotional support. This work has illuminated the scope of the issue, driving local organizations to step up and address these gaps.
A Glimpse into the Life of an Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
Take the story of Jayden (name changed for privacy), a 16-year-old Winter Haven student whose daily life embodies the hardships faced by unaccompanied homeless youth. Both of Jayden’s parents are incarcerated, and with no stable guardian, he relies on the kindness of friends’ families, who let him stay for a few days at a time. Despite the generosity he experiences, Jayden never feels fully at ease, often packing up his belongings every few days and navigating the uncertainty of where he’ll sleep next. On weekdays, he wakes up before dawn, hoping to catch a ride to school and facing exhaustion from the lack of a steady home environment.
At school, Jayden tries to stay focused, but the pressure of daily survival impacts his ability to concentrate, and he sometimes falls behind in his classes. After school, he occasionally helps out around friends’ homes, feeling the need to contribute however he can. Meals are often irregular, and school lunch might be his only substantial meal of the day. When evening comes, Jayden is again faced with the uncertainty of where he will sleep, relying on a rotation of friends’ couches or floor space. His dream is simple: to have a safe, consistent place to call home and a chance to build a better future.
Heart for Winter Haven’s Plan: A Group Home with All Hands on Deck
Through an affiliate partnership with the Starting Right, Now program, Heart for Winter Haven has created a detailed roadmap for establishing a group home tailored to the unique needs of unaccompanied homeless youth like Jayden in Winter Haven. This group home will offer not training only a stable living environment but also wraparound services, including mental health support, educational advocacy, and life skills training.
This endeavor will require the collective support of the Winter Haven community. Heart for Winter Haven is calling on anyone interested in contributing to this mission to consider how they might support the group home’s success—whether through volunteerism, advocacy, or financial backing.
For those inspired to help end youth homelessness in Winter Haven, Brad Beatty, Executive Director of Heart for Winter Haven, welcomes inquiries at brad@heart4wh.org. Together, the community has an opportunity to create a stable foundation for Winter Haven’s unaccompanied youth and provide them with the resources they need to thrive.
