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360-Degrees of Homelessness – Homelessness Through the Eyes of a Child (Part 2)

According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, “At least 1.35 million children are homeless during the year; 200,000 are homeless on any given day.”

In the second part of the series the Castellio’s eldest daughter shares what it is like for her –why she feels it necessary to hide her family’s circumstances from her friends and kids at school.

She is bright and articulate and shows no visible signs of being without a home, often living with her 2 brothers and little sister in the family van.

“What homeless children need most of all is a home.  While they are experiencing homelessness, however, it is essential that children remain in school.  School is one of the few stable, secure places in the lives of homeless children and youth — a place where they can acquire the skills needed to help them escape poverty.” (National Coalition for the Homeless)

Still the Castellio daughter manages to make all A’s and B’s during the many months that her family is homeless.

“Families with children are by most accounts among the fastest growing segments of the homeless population. In the United States an estimated 1.35 million from 600 thousand families will experience homelessness today, while 3.8 million more will live in “precarious housing situations.” [1] Put another way, of every 200 children in America, 3 will be homeless today and more than double that number will be at risk for homelessness. [2]

Homelessness has a devastating impact on children and youths’ educational opportunities. Residency requirements, guardianship requirements, delays in transfer of school records, lack of transportation, and lack of immunization records often prevent homeless children from enrolling in school. Homeless children and youth who are able to enroll in school still face barriers to regular attendance: while 87% of homeless youth are enrolled in school, only 77% attend school regularly. [3]

According to recent federal data, during the 2007-2008 school year 794,617 homeless children and youth were enrolled in public schools. This number, however, is an underestimate, as not all school districts report data to the U.S. Department of Education, and because the data collected represents only those children identified and enrolled in school. Furthermore, the number does not include all preschool-age children, or any infants and toddlers.

Living arrangements for homeless children can be highly improvisational. These situations are often precarious, unstable, and, at times, dangerous. Of children who schools identified as homeless during the 2007-2008 school year, 22% lived in shelters, 65% lived with other family members or friends, 7% lived in motels, and 6% lived without shelter. [4]

In addition to enrollment problems, the high mobility associated with homelessness has severe educational consequences. Homeless families move frequently due to limits to length of shelter stays, search for safe and affordable housing or employment, or to escape abusive family members. Too often, homeless children have to change schools because shelters or other temporary accommodations are not located within their school district. Homeless children and youth frequently transfer schools multiple times in a single year because of these conditions.

Every time a child has to change schools, his or her education is disrupted. According to the Institute for Children and Poverty, homeless children are nine times more likely to repeat a grade, four times more likely to drop out of school, and three times more likely to be placed in special education programs than their housed peers.” [5]

SOURCES:

Institute for Children and Poverty. (2008). “National Data on Family Homelessness.” Retrieved September 21, 2009 from http://www.icpny.org/index.asp?CID=7.

Data compiled using Data from the Institute for Children and Poverty. (2008). “National Data on Family Homelessness.” Retrieved September 21, 2009 from http://www.icpny.org/index.asp?CID=7. and from the U.S. Census Bureau (2009). Retrieved September 21, 2009 from http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ADPTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-qr_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_DP3YR2&-ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-_sse=on

U.S. Department of Education. “Education OF Homeless Youth Program: Learning to Succeed.” Retrieved September 21, 2009 from http://www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/PES/esed/learnsucceed/exec_sum.html

The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY). “Facts About the Education of Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness.” Retrieved September 21, 2009 from http://naehcy.org/facts.html#why.

Institute for Children and Poverty. (2008). “National Data on Family Homelessness.” Retrieved September 21, 2009 from http://www.icpny.org/PDF/reports/AccesstoSuccess.pdf?Submit1=Free+Download.

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