Congressman Henry Cuellar announced $259,710 in federal funds Tuesday morning to the agency Serving Children and Adults in Need (SCAN) to support runaway and youth homelessness.

The funds are intended to be used for two programs aimed at helping youth who faced issues of living on the streets that will be extended for three years. The congressman laid out how much each program will need for each year.

“The Basic Central Program is for $150,000 a year for a total of about $450,000 for the three years, and the Street Outreach Program is about $109,000 a year for a total of about $327,000 for the three years, and this is a way for both programs can provide assistance to the immediate needs of any runaway or homeless youth.”

In total, about $761,130 through the two grant programs will be provided to the agency in the next three years to ensure they have all the money needed to be successful.

Cuellar said in his district, homeless runaways are a serious issue. He told the story of a student from Martin High School who graduated while struggling with homelessness and living out of his car.

With such a great need in the district, he said the funds will help make sure the youth are assisted to find stable shelter. The leaders of SCAN were grateful for the funding.

“We are here this morning once again celebrating Representative Henry Cuellar as he is presenting us with this, now called virtual check presentations,” SCAN CEO Isela Dabdoub. “The federal funding that we will receive through his administration will be for children and their families.”

According to Dabdoub, Cuellar’s announcement was nothing new as the congressman has worked to assist SCAN every year for more than a decade.

“These two grants that we got will help to complete the runaway and homeless programs that we already have as we have a transitional program in which homeless kids can be there until they succeed and they transition into adulthood and they can live independently,” SCAN Executive Vice President Luis E. Flores said. “The runaway issue program is going to identify kids in the community who are runaway homeless youth and to have these kids safe as there are many dangers out there in the streets such as drug use, survival sex, and they could also be used for exploitation in human trafficking.”

Some of the services the programs offer for youth who qualify include room and board, clothing and counseling. The final step is to find a safe place for them to return which could mean going back home or finding another situation if they are ready to be independent.

Flores said for children who can return to their families, family counseling services will also be provide. After care services will also be provided to make sure the children are doing well along the way.

“The last time SCAN had federal funding for these types of programs was in 2013, so we are really content that now after seven years we can go out in the streets to help those youth access and get safety housing,” Program Director Dr. Chris Craddock said. “The goal of the outreach street program called Corazon, which means heart in Spanish, is a program that intends to look out for the best interests of the kids and that our hearts are definitely in the right place in efforts to help them out. To do that, we will provide education and prevention services to these street and runaway youth.”

Craddock estimates they can help about 1,000 youth during the three years of the program, and he’s hopeful to exceed that goal.

“We have different percentages of the youth that we are trying to provide shelter services, which is a smaller number which is about 80 to 100 a year, that account for the ones trying to get into one of our shelter facilities as we have limited space in those facilities,” Cradock said. “The bigger issue for us is in providing the youth with the contacts that they need to get off the street. If it is not one of our emergency services, then it is one of the other services, and we will also try to work in getting reunited back with their families as well while doing the education and case management for them to get off the street.”

The Basic Center Program helps create and strengthen community-based programs that meet the immediate needs of runaway and homeless youth under 18 years old, and the Street Outreach Program supports street-based outreach and education for runaway and homeless youth.

The awarded federal funds were possible through the Department Health of Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families and will be used to provide housing support, case management and treatment services for runaway and homeless youth in Webb, Zapata, Starr, La Salle and Hidalgo counties.