findings

findings Sec. 302. The Congress hereby finds that— (1) the number of juveniles who leave and remain away from home without parental permission has increased to alarming proportions, creating a substantial law enforcement problem for the 88 Stat. 1130communities inundated, and significantly endangering the young people who are without resources and live on the street; (2) the exact nature of the problem is not well defined because national statistics on the size and profile of the runaway youth population are not tabulated; (3) many such young people, because of their age and situation, are urgently in need of temporary shelter and counseling services; (4) the problem of locating, detaining, and returning runaway children should not be the responsibility of already overburdened police departments and juvenile justice authorities; and (5) in view of the interstate nature of the problem, it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to develop accurate reporting of the problem nationally and to develop an effective system of temporary care outside the law enforcement structure.