This paper discusses the challenges of effectively matching the needs of youth populations with program services. An introduction reviews some broad issues that shape the discussion, namely whether youth is a period integrated into the course of life or a separatist culture. A second section proposes an ecological approach to youth services, which proceeds from the assumption that human behavior and patterns of social relationships are not independent of place. This section looks at models for youth development and program foundation. A third section looks at varieties of personal, social, and cultural development among youth, including identity formation and community influences. The following section reviews the developmental and environmental stresses involved in growing up, such as risks of delinquency, and mutually-reinforcing multiple risk factors. The fifth section suggests how to mitigate the risks in young lives through social support systems that help young people to learn to cope with risks and find a balance between inner resilience and social support, considers how adults and community resources can play a role, and emphasizes the importance of community-based collaborative roles for youth professionals. A final section explores building service communities for youth. An author biography is included. (Contains 65 references.) (JB)