The first conference in the Heartland dedicated to the serious and growing issue of youth homelessness was held in Kansas City on September 12.

Major themes throughout the day were preventing and ending youth homelessness as an achievable goal, system‐level transformation and community collaborative models, and evidence‐based best practices, including lessons learned and challenges. The circumstances that result in a youth becoming homeless are unique and varied, but trends are identifiable and best practices exist. The agenda provided information about data trends, tools, and strategies that are proven to work to end homelessness among youth.

Featured speakers included: Dee Balliet, Executive Committee member of the National Youth Forum on Homelessness; Sandra Gasca‐Gonzalez, Director of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative; Jasmine Hayes, Deputy Director, leading the Policy Team, for the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH); Rivianna Hyatt, Executive Committee member of the National Youth Forum on Homelessness; and Megan Gibbard Kline, Director of A Way Home America.

The 2017 Ending Youth Homelessness in the Heartland Conference was presented by The L.P. Cookingham Institute of Urban Affairs is pleased to host We are a community‐engaged research center at the Henry W. Bloch School of Management at the University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC) providing expertise on issues of urban policy and management. The institute seeks opportunities for research and service that build on our foundation in action‐oriented policy analysis, policy design, policy implementation, and program evaluation.