Open for Business: Exploring the Life Stages of Two Canadian Street Youth Shelters

Abstract

Youth shelters have emerged as significant resources for homeless & runaway adolescents. Through participant observations of shelter culture, review of agency archival materials, & in-depth interviews with 21 shelter workers (front-line staff, middle managers, & upper-level executives), this analysis explores the life stages of two Canadian street youth shelters, highlighting the dramatic transformations in their internal operations & external environments. This paper also offers an understanding of organizational evolutionary processes. 20 References. Adapted from the source document.