Emergency Youth Shelter
If you are between the ages of 12 and 17 and experiencing homelessness for any reason, we can help.
It’s SAFE. FREE. VOLUNTARY.
Stopover’s Indianapolis emergency youth shelter provides temporary shelter, food, clothing, and supportive services for runaway and homeless youth, ages 12 to 17.
Our shelter home is a welcoming place where you can safely have your immediate needs met, removed from the intensity of the family situation and the dangers of living on the streets.
75
*Avg. number of youth under age 17
staying in our Emergency shelter each year.
staying in our Emergency shelter each year.
Emergency Youth Shelter Program
Stopover’s emergency youth shelter provides 24/7 supervised care for up to six youth on any given night. Because most youth arrive at our shelter with little more than the clothes on their back and a cell phone, we always begin with the basics—a safe place to sleep, warm meals, clothing, and personal hygiene.
Individualized Support
Whether you have run away from home or have no place to call home, we don’t judge or assume we know your personal story. Instead, we ask questions. We listen carefully to better understand what challenging issues or family situations may have led you to be in crisis and what your individual needs or risks are. When you’re ready, we’ll explore resolution by facilitating conversations between you and your family.
Family reunification
Nearly 89% of the young people who come to our Emergency Youth Shelter safely return home within 20 days. If we determine that additional services are needed to support healthy family reunification, or that it’s not in your best interest to return home, we will work with you and your family to make living arrangements and access age-appropriate support services.
While in our care, young people receive the following services at no cost to the young person or their family.
- Basic needs – shelter, meals, clothing, personal hygiene products.
- Case management/assessment
- Transportation to and from existing school or part-time work
- Education Assistance
- Trauma-informed care and counseling
- Age-appropriate life skills training & experience
- Connection to social services partners within the continuum of care
Need somewhere safe to stay? Call us. 317.635.9301
“I had run out of people. Out of places I could stay. I couldn’t even think about anything else but where I was going to go next.
When I got to Stopover, I could finally just breathe and think about things.”
—Jeremy, Age 15
Answers
For Young People
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What is an emergency youth shelter?
Ours is a house where you have a room and a bed, food, showers, and most of the things you would find in a home. It’s a safe alternative to living on the streets or crashing on people’s couches.
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Who can stay at the house?
Most 12 to 17-year-olds who have either run away or are experiencing homelessness. It doesn’t matter why you’re on the street. We don’t judge. It also doesn’t matter what your race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or beliefs are. Everyone is welcome here.
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How long can I stay?
Up to 20 days at a time if you need to. The average stay is 12 days. Most young people are able to return home after that, but each person’s situation is different, so we’ll take it one day at a time.
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What is the shelter like?
The shelter is a house with three bedrooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms, three living areas, and a laundry room. It’s possible you will have a roommate, but there are never any more than six young people at a time in the house. It’s not fancy, but we like it.
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Do I have to go to school? What if I need help getting back on track?
Yes, Indiana law requires that everyone under the age of 18 is enrolled and attending school. While you’re here, we can arrange transportation so that you can keep attending your existing school. If you’d like, we can meet with you and your school counselor to help you develop a plan for getting and staying on track.
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Can I come and go as I please or have visitors? Are there other rules?
Stopover is safe, free, and voluntary. No one can, or will, force you to stay. If you decide to stay with us and are under 18, you’re considered “under our care” at all times and your safety and well-being are our top priorities. You can leave to attend school, work, or scheduled visits with your family, as well as other necessary appointments. We do not allow drugs, alcohol, bullying, threats of violence, or weapons of any kind on our properties at any time. That’s a hard and fast rule for everyone.
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What do you expect from me?
We expect you to treat others and the property with kindness and respect. We don’t expect to be your new best friend, but our staff is here to help, and others in the house are going through tough times just like you. Everybody pitches in and picks up after themselves. To best help yourself, be honest, willing to learn new life skills, and realistic about setting and working toward personal goals.
We are here to help. Call us. 317.635.9301