ipl-logo

Homelessness In Schools: A Case Study

1676 Words7 Pages

Federal law defines children and youth who are homeless as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence (McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act 2009; as cited in Rahman, Turner, Elbedour, 2015). Homeless students can be classified as either sheltered or unsheltered according to HUD Point in Time. These students may be referred to as mobility students. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) counts those who are involuntarily staying with friends, family, strangers, in motels and hotels as homeless. Many United States school systems are faced with the truth about the increase in students who are classified as homeless in schools. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (2010), …show more content…

Since homelessness is often viewed as an invisible social issue, the victims of the situation are usually unaware of the rights they possess according to certain federal protections. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (MVHAA), first started in 1987, is the main federal law that provides funding and guidance services to families that are classified as homeless. The mission of MVHAA is to protect mobility students from missing school days and minimizing transience (Canfield & Teasley, 2015). This law helps to remove barriers to homeless families and youth through certain provisions. One of the provisions states that homeless youth can remain in their established school even if they relocate outside of the school’s zone. This is in place to help keep the children in the same environment and on track with their academics. However, if students decide to attend another school, MVHAA requires the school to waive all required documentation for the child and enroll them immediately. Often times school social workers are appointed as liaisons between the school, the state’s education department, and the affected families. They educate mobility families on their rights as homeless families. MVHAA provides funding to serve …show more content…

The majority of teachers are not aware immediately when a child is homeless, but through positive communication and relationships, students will open up to teachers about their home conditions. Since homeless children experience isolation, an educator must be sure to establish positive relationships with these students from day one. The child must have feelings of trust and respect for his or her teacher. These students may already feel shameful and embarrassed about their situations, so the positive student-teacher relationships are pertinent to the child learning to trust and open up to teachers. Homeless children are bound to be more internalizing with depression and externalizing with aggression and physical harm than the average student because of the lack of stability. Therefore, positive student-teacher relationships among homeless students foster an emotional and secure feeling on the inside of the students. They are in a space where they feel safe and are able to interact with others about their emotions. This in itself assists with homeless children being able to succeed

Show More
Related
446 Words | 2 Pages

In her essay “Homeless on Campus” Professor Eleanor J. Bader, writes about students who are attending college while being homeless. She introduces four students whom are homeless and explains their stories. As she described the life of each student it became obvious that stories were similar; students left home due to hardships and abuse from others, and are now moving from one place to another, going to extreme measures to make sure everything is taking care off, and all while focussing on school work. Bader identified three main focus points on the issue of homeless students on campus. She noted that unlike elementary school and high school, universities do not provide any formal help to homeless students.

Read More
262 Words | 2 Pages

While circumstances can vary, an individual’s first choice is rarely to choose homelessness due to the inability to afford housing or other unforeseen circumstances. The support of friends, family, and community programs/shelters are first suggestions when a person becomes displaced. When these suggestions become inadequate, living on the streets is the next favorable/affordable option. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, on a night in January of 2015, there were 564,708 people homeless in the United States (para 3).

Read More
777 Words | 4 Pages

The article “The State of Homelessness in America” provides

Read More
542 Words | 3 Pages

A place to stay is not always guaranteed to those who apply. America needs to find a better solution to solving homelessness on college campuses and it needs to identify what the causes of homelessness are. Some college students are homeless because the jobs that are offered to them are unstable low income jobs. Rising tuition costs as well cause some college students to become homeless because they can’t afford to pay.

Read More
677 Words | 3 Pages

Homeless youth are always dealing with poor nutrition, victimization, substance use, and abuse. Unfortunately the services provided are very limited and cannot help a huge chunk of the homeless youth. Homeless youth experience more substance abuse and drug addiction than non-homeless youth, this causes them to be mentally unstable and unable to be a functioning member of society. There are many temporary services provided such as shelters, drop-ins, meal programs, literacy improvements, and counselling programs; although these are available and there to help the youth, they are all flawed in their own ways. What the government does not take into consideration is the long term solutions to put youth in poverty to an end.

Read More
822 Words | 4 Pages

“Homeless on Campus,” by Eleanor Bader is a summary of homeless students on college campuses. Bader taught English at Kingsborough Community College and she was also a freelance writer. This report explains how many students on college campuses are homeless and are trying to continue their education. Bader illustrates her points by writing about students that share their personal stories about their hardships. She also communicates with others who have insight and information about students who have no home and are going to college.

Read More
1212 Words | 5 Pages

The most significant disadvantage of homelessness is the damage it does, both physically and psychologically, to a person's health. Those forced to live on the streets or in temporary housing are at a greater risk of being injured by other people or being ill with a contagious disease themselves, both of which can spread to others. Homeless people may have mental health problems due to the stress and trauma of not having a place to call home (Southworth & Brallier,2023). Children, particularly younger children, are especially vulnerable to the effects that can arise due to their family's lack of stable housing. Homeless children usually face difficulties attending school, obtaining the essentials, and dealing with much more anxiety and unpredictability than other children.

Read More
1834 Words | 8 Pages

Abuse and neglect are one of the top three leading causes of youth homelessness. “Studies show 70 percent of homeless youth have suffered some form of physical, sexual or emotional abuse” and “45.7 percent of street

Read More
686 Words | 3 Pages

Colleges and Universities could “provide affordable housing and full access to health care” (1) to their students. There are many other things that can be done to help the homeless students. Even a tiny effort can make a huge

Read More
113 Words | 1 Pages

Homelessness is very real in the United states with 3.5 million Americans left without a place to call home each year. There is a strong stigma against homeless individuals who are seen as chronic and episodic, but in reality, those seen living on the streets in downtown areas of cities are families with children. The vast majority have been thrust into homelessness through a life altering situation that was unexpected and unplanned for. One of the harsh realities is that homeless individuals and families tend to come from communities of concentrated poverty. Many factors lead to pushing people onto the streets and occasionally, these same factors can be the reason they stay homeless.

Read More
1232 Words | 5 Pages

America’s homeless population is increasing every year. According to the article “Foster Care and Homelessness,” “50% of America's homeless population spent time in foster care.” As children reach their teen years it is less likely that they will be adopted. This creates the possibility of aging out of the system. When a child ages out of the system they have to create a life for themselves.

Read More
214 Words | 1 Pages

When people think of others who are poor and less fortunate, they assume that it is people who are living on the street, don’t have a family, and are classified within the homeless population. What they don’t recognize is that is not completely wrong or correct because it is known that not all homeless people live on the streets or don’t have family to support them financially and more. The first time I recognized this was when I volunteered at the Our Daily Bread Employment Center in Baltimore. After observing and interacting with some of the families and individuals who attend the hot meal program year round, I not only recognized that most of the people came from stable homes and have jobs but also that 1 out of 10 people were homeless by

Read More
1401 Words | 6 Pages

These factors include, but are not limited to, lack of affordable housing, economic insecurity, behavioral health, etc. Research has found that the main contributing factors for children living in homeless families are the lack of affordable housing, poverty, and domestic violence (Aratani, 2009). Similarly, mental illness, substance abuse, and lack of affordable housing are the top contributing factors of homelessness among unaccompanied youth (Aratani, 2009). In addition to analyzing the factors that can cause homelessness, the article explores the impact that homelessness can have on youth. For example, homelessness can often lead to food insecurity since food supplies can be scarce, which can then have a negative impact on the child/youth’s overall health.

Read More
1256 Words | 6 Pages

The issue of homelessness in America has been evident since the early 1600’s. Across the country men, women and children spend their nights on the streets not knowing when or if they will ever find a permanent home. States and federal officials or city councils have tried to alleviate or at least reduce the number of homeless over the last several decades at a city, state or national level but it continues to be an ongoing problem. There is a multitude of factors that account for the growing homeless population that affects each state in the country differently. Though there are many contributing factors that contribute to the amount of people living on the street at any given night in the U.S.

Read More
2159 Words | 9 Pages

McKinney Homeless Assistance Act and subsequent amendments in 1990 and 1994 provide considerable protection for the educational needs of homeless children and youth in the United States. The legislation also provided formula grants for states to carry out the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program (Subtitle VII-B) (ASCD,1997). The McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act is a federal law that ensures immediate enrollment and educational stability for homeless children and youth. McKinney-Vento provides federal funding to states for the purpose of supporting district programs that serve homeless students (OSPI, 2015).The following are provisions mandated by law for homeless children according to the McKinney Act of 1990 and

Read More

More about Homelessness In Schools: A Case Study

Related Topics

Open Document