Healthy Youth Development: Support the healthy development and education of all children, youth, and young adults through City goals, decision making, policies, and programs.
THIS POLICY SUPPORTS GOALS:
THIS POLICY RELATES TO TOPICS:
The presence or absence of risk and resiliency factors not only influences a youth’s present health and behavior but also has a significant impact on long-term development, health, behaviors and outcomes. Many negative outcomes, including suicide, homicide, chronic health conditions, chemical dependency, sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancy, homelessness, criminal behavior, criminal justice system involvement and decreased earnings potential, are tied to risk factors that can begin or peak during youth.
At the same time, developing and fostering resiliency factors during a person’s youth supports ongoing healthy lifestyles and behaviors into adulthood, generates positive outcomes around education, employment, leadership, social connectedness and civic engagement, and contributes to a more productive generation of adults.
Supporting and positioning youth for healthy outcomes requires a multi-prong approach that meets the physical, mental, and social needs of youth. This includes access to safe and stable housing, educational and workforce opportunities, and social networks to build their resiliency. The presence of and connection to caring adults in their community supports the healthy growth and development of youth, which includes teachers, mentors, and coaches, and other caring adults in their social networks.
ACTION STEPS
The City will seek to accomplish the following action steps to support the healthy development and education of all children, youth, and young adults through City goals, decision making, policies, and programs.
- Ensure that all children, youth and young adults are physically, psychologically and socially healthy.
- Provide safe environments across the City of Minneapolis for children, youth, young adults, and their families and support systems.
- Ensure that all children, youth and young adults are safely and stably housed.
- Support outside-of-school activities that promote social and emotional learning, soft skills development, educational achievement, career readiness, and community and civic engagement.
- Invest in career readiness, and career pathways for all children, youth and young adults to increase steady living-wage employment.
- Eliminate barriers that prevent children, youth and young adults from participating in civic opportunities in their communities.
- Collaborate with local and state agencies, especially the school district to support policies that promote positive and healthy development for children, youth, young adults, and their families and support systems.
- Continue to invest in and expand resources for physical and mental health services for youth, which includes a focus on historical trauma.