Covenant House is the largest privately-funded childcare agency in the United States providing shelter and services to homeless and runaway youth. It was incorporated in New York City in 1972 and has since expanded in the United States to Anchorage, Alaska, Atlanta, Ga., Atlantic City and Newark, N.J., Detroit, Mich., Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Fla., Houston, Texas, Los Angeles and Oakland, Calif., New Orleans, La., Philadelphia, Pa., St. Louis, Mo. and Washington, D. C. and, outside the United States, to Toronto and Vancouver, Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua. Covenant House provides a variety of services to homeless youth including health care, education, vocational preparation, drug abuse treatment and prevention programs, legal services, recreation, mother and child programs, transitional living programs, street outreach and aftercare. The organization is recognized as an expert spokesperson for the rights of children.