The increase in the number of youth under age 18 enrolling in federally funded adult basic and literacy education programs is a trend that is putting increasing pressures on programs designed to serve an adult population. Documenting the extent of the trend is difficult due to the way in which federal statistics on age of program participants have been compiled and variations in state policies. These multiple factors contribute to the increase: the educational reform movement that increases high school graduation requirements but is often not supported by services needed for youth at risk of dropping out; the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, whose definition of "adult" opens the door for programs in some states to be viable alternatives for youth; and alternative programs that do not meet high school dropout needs. Challenges and questions facing programs include serving youth and adults in the same classes and the appropriateness of instructional materials and teaching methods. Two federally funded adult education programs that are working with youth and have research components offer insight on their impact on young participants. FutureWorks provides an example of how one program can initiate change, and the Metropolitan Alliance for Adult Learning has published information that demonstrates how changes can be incorporated throughout a system. (Contains 13 references.) (YLB)