I have 6 children under 16 and a wife to support and no family to back me. I could die tomorrow and they are up the creek.

The homeless are old enough to take care of themselves.

If you have the time to help them,  you should.

for one thing, there are plenty of young people who are homeless
and being a certain chronological age does not mean in and of itself that a person is capable of... say, making someone give him/her a job?

you tend to criticize w/ a broad brush..

"Make" someone give them a job?   If they are too young to be hired, then they ought to be in school. Businesses who hire minors without work permits which show they are of legal age to seek part-time work- and are enrolled in school- are probably not fit places for them to work. If you were speaking of young adults aged 18 to 24, then they can apply for any job they feel adequate for. If they aren't chosen for the job, then they move onto the next possible employment opportunity just like everyone else.  Employers want to hire people who will do the job competently and dependably. That's why they bother with resumes and interviews. I don't think many businesses can afford  'make-work' payroll for people not qualified for a productive position.

Yes that "make someone give them a job" puzzled me. But your second sentence, 1MT, also puzzled me.
.
Do you mean that a young person needs a work permit to seek p/t work? And does said work permit also state they are enrolled in school? Could you reword the sentence so I can understand what you are saying here? 

Different states have variations, but they're pretty similar. A work permit is issued by the school district and signed by the parent or guardian. Sometimes this includes a warning that the permit can be revoked if the student's grades suffer. A minor who isn't enrolled in school (drop-out) will need to legally obtain status as an emancipated minor.  For example, here  are the rules for the state of California.

Except in limited circuмstances defined in law and summarized in the child labor law booklet, all minors under 18 years of age employed in the state of California must have a permit to work.
Prior to permitting a minor to work, employers must possess a valid permit to employ and work. The permit to employ and work are issued on the same form. A permit to employ and work in industries other than entertainment is usually issued by an authorized person at the minor's school. During summer months or when school is not in session the work permit is obtained from the superintendent of the school district in which the minor resides.
Typically, after an employer agrees to hire a minor, the minor obtains from his or her school a Department of Education form entitled "Statement of Intent to Employ Minor and Request for Work Permit". The form must be completed by the minor and the employer and signed by the minor's parent or guardian and the employer. After returning the completed and signed form to the school, school officials may issue the permit to employ and work.
Permits issued during the school year expire five days after the opening of the next succeeding school year and must be renewed.