"Over 1000 homeless youth are regularly enrolled in the East Baton Rouge Parish Schools.  Annually over 500 youth per year are reported to the police or sheriff’s office as having runaway from home."

• How was the Baton Rouge Alliance for Transitional Living and Youth Oasis formed?

In 1996, eight local social service agencies and 2 universities began the Baton Rouge Alliance for Transitional Living (BRATL). They identified widening gaps in services for homeless youth. These youth were exiting the social service system (foster care, juvenile corrections, residential treatment), being thrown out of their parents home or running away from a harmful family life.  More simply put, these are youth that do not have a family or a permanent residence they can call home. In addition, these youth often lacked independent living skills, like making groceries, balancing a checkbook, preparing a nutritious meal, obtaining healthcare services, finding a job or a place to live. It was challenging for many of these youth to transition successfully into adulthood. In 2003, after getting youth and community input, BRATL began doing business as Youth Oasis.

•  What services does Youth Oasis provide?

•  Kaleidoscope is our emergency shelter for male and female youth ages 10-17; and,

• Passages is our transition apartment program for youth ages 16-21.

• Who are the current members of the Alliance?

• Gulf Coast Teaching Family Services (GCTFS)
• Department of Social Services/Office of Community Services (DSS/OCS)
• Department of Public Safety and Corrections/Office of Youth Development (DSS/OYD)
• Volunteers of America (VOA)
• Family Services of Greater Baton Rouge
• Louisiana Rehabilitative Services (LRS)
• Capital Area Human Services District
• Louisiana State University School of Social Work
• Southern University Department of Social Work
• SLU Discovery Project