Homelessness In Education
a student by day, homeless by night
This is a real problem
- In the United States 1,258,182 students were homeless
- In Indiana alone 16,233 students were homeless
Identifying a homeless student may be more difficult than you think.
- The student may be living in a shelter with their family sometimes awaiting placement into more permanent housing
- Some students live with another family or with extended family in a situation that is referred to as "doubling up".
- The student may be living in many different places changing their address from week to week.
The McKinney-Vento Act
The McKinney-Vento Act is a broad law that provides services to the homeless. This act not only provides emergency housing, but also ensures that homeless children will be fed and still be able to attend school.
Amended in 2009 by the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act. Also called "HEARTH." HEARTH amended the McKinney-Vento Act to expand its definition of homelessness in response to the growing number of families displaced by the economic downturn of 2007.
This act provides federal dollars to support education of homeless students.
This act provides certain rights to homeless students.
- The ability to enroll in a school without school or medical records
- Access to transportation
- The ability to attend their school of origin
This girl explains what life is like living in a shelter. She talks about how she completes everyday tasks such as eating dinner and doing her homework. She also shares some of the things she misses about when her family lived in their own home.
What can I do for homeless students?
- Clothing- The student may not have access to clean clothing, clothing in their size, or shoes. Find out about their needs and see if you can offer any help.
- No Cost Clothing Resources in the Lafayette Area- This is a listing of different clothing closets around Lafayette that offer free or low cost clothing. Some closets have requirements to be eligible for the service. www.clothingclosetmap.weebly.com
- Hygienic items- Items such as baby wipes, feminine hygiene items, deodorant, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, and toothpaste.
- School supplies- Most needed items might be clipboards, pens, pencils, and notebooks.
- Healthy snacks- Some students may be coming to school without breakfast and may have missed dinner the evening before too. Keep healthy snacks that deliver energy such as granola bars, oatmeal cookies, raisins, apples, bananas, boxed milk, trail mix (if nuts are allowed at the school), even tuna or chicken salad kits are a good source of protein.
- Respect- Some students may feel like an invisible person, or a liability. Help that student to feel respected and valued as a member of the class. Encourage participation and sharing in the classroom without alienating the student.
References
Dvorak, P. (2014, March 31). 8 Years Old and Homeless: In D.C., There Are Hundreds of
Children Just like Relisha. The Washington Post. Retrieved April 30, 2015, from
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-35878144.html
Education Barriers for Homeless Youth. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2015, from
https://www.nn4youth.org/wp-content/uploads/IssueBrief_Education.pdf
FACTS AND RESOURCES ABOUT THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH
EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS? (n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2015, from
http://www.naehcy.org/sites/default/files/dl/homeless-ed-101.pdf
Gonzalez, M. L. (1990). School+ Home= A Program for Educating Homeless Students. Phi
Delta Kappan, 71(10), 785-87.
Homeless students increase by 58 percent in past six years | Education By The Numbers.
(n.d.).Retrieved from http://educationbythenumbers.org/content/homeless-students-
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McKinney-Vento Act NCH Fact Sheet #18. (2006, June 1). Retrieved April 30, 2015, from
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/facts/McKinney.pdf
McKinney-Vento Homeless | IDOE. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.doe.in.gov/student-
services/mckinney-vento-homeless
Miller, P. M. (2011). A critical analysis of the research on student homelessness. Review of
Educational Research, 81(3), 308-337.
MPRdotOrg. (2007, March 26). Life in a homeless shelter through the eyes of an 8-year old
[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOAZbio6vEI
Rafferty, Y., & Shinn, M. (1991). The impact of homelessness on children. American
Psychologist, 46(11), 1170.
Teachers Say More Students Homeless, Living in Poverty | Scholastic.com. (2012, January
1). Retrieved April 30, 2015,from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/teachers-
say-more-students-homeless-living-poverty
Zehr, M. A. (2010). School districts scramble to help homeless students. Education Week,
29(20), 6-7.