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Education of Homeless Children and Youth
This fact sheet examines the barriers to public education faced by homeless
children and youth, the progress states have made in removing those barriers,
and current policy issues. A list of resources for further study is also
provided.
BACKGROUND
Homeless children are by most accounts among the fastest growing segments
of the homeless population. Families with children constitute approximately
40% of people who become homeless (Shinn and Weitzman, 1996). A survey
of 30 U.S. cities found that in 1998, children accounted for 25% of the
urban homeless population and unaccompanied minors accounted for 3% of
the urban homeless population (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 1998). These
proportions are likely to be higher in rural areas; research indicates
that families, single mothers, and children make up the largest group
of people who are homeless in rural areas (Vissing, 1996).
When families become homeless, they are often forced to move frequently.
Length-of-stay restrictions in shelters, short stays with friends and
relatives, and/or relocation to seek employment make it difficult for
homeless children to attend school regularly. In addition, guardianship
requirements, delays in transfer of school records, lack of a permanent
address and/or immunization records often prevent homeless children from
enrolling in school. Often, homeless children and youth who are able to
enroll in school face another obstacle: inability to get to their school
because of lack of transportation. Homeless families may not have a family
car or money for public transportation, and many shelters are unable to
provide transportation. Children who miss school frequently fall behind
very quickly. Without an opportunity to receive an education, homeless
children are much less likely to acquire the skills they need to escape
poverty as adults.
REMOVING BARRIERS TO HOMELESS CHILDREN'S EDUCATION
The McKinney Act's Education of Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program
was established by Congress in 1987 in response to reports that over 50%
of homeless children were not attending school regularly. The EHCY Program
provides formula grants to state educational agencies to ensure that all
homeless children and youth have equal access to the same free, appropriate
education, including preschool education, provided to other children and
youth. State and local educational agencies receive McKinney funds to
review and revise laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act
as a barrier to the enrollment, attendance, and success in school of homeless
children and youth. In 1990, the McKinney program was amended and its
authorized funding level was increased to enable states to provide grants
to local educational agencies for direct services to carry out the purposes
of the program.
Recent evaluations of the EHCY program reveal that while much progress
has been made in ensuring homeless children's access to education, many
barriers remain (see America's Homeless Children: Will Their Future Be
Different? and Making the Grade: Success and Challenges in Educating Homeless
Children and Youth). A 1995 national evaluation found that approximately
86% of homeless children and youth attended school regularly, a remarkable
increase in school access (Anderson et al., 1995). The same study also
noted that almost all states have revised laws and policies to improve
access to education for homeless students, but that the remaining barriers
to enrollment in school include guardianship and immunization requirements,
transportation problems, and school fees. Barriers to success in school
were found to include family mobility, poor health, and lack of food,
clothing, and school supplies. Similarly, a 1995 survey found that shelter
providers now view residency requirements as a minor barrier to school
enrollment. A majority of the service providers and shelter operators
surveyed, however, felt that homeless children faced difficulties in being
evaluated for special education programs and services, participating in
after-school events and extra-curricular activities, obtaining counseling
and psychological services, and accessing before- and after-school care
programs (National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, 1995).
POLICY ISSUES
Homeless children's access to education has significantly improved as
a result of the McKinney EHCY program. However, many obstacles to the
enrollment, attendance, and success of homeless children in school persist.
One of the largest obstacles is the extremely limited resources available
to implement the McKinney Act. When Congress first passed the McKinney
Act in 1987, it authorized states to receive $50 million for the education
of homeless children and youth. In the ten years since its passage, the
EHCY program has yet to receive full funding. The program's FY99 funding
level ($28.8 million) is the same as the FY95 funding level, despite reports
of increasing homelessness among children. As a result of lack of funds
for the EHCY program, many states are serving only a small portion of
their estimated population of homeless children. Only 3% of all local
education agencies receive McKinney funds (Anderson et al., 1995).
Another policy issue that continues to pose problems for homeless children's
and youth's education is lack of clarity in the law regarding the determination
of school enrollment and responsibility for transportation. Current language
states that "to the extent feasible," the local educational
agency shall comply with the request made by a parent or guardian regarding
school selection. This ambiguity weakens the mandate to enroll homeless
children and youth according to the child's best interest, as school districts
may claim that transportation or other costs render the parental choice
not "feasible." In addition, while the law orders state and
local educational agencies to remove barriers to enrollment, it does not
specify that homeless children and youth be enrolled immediately; thus,
many homeless children are still forced to wait while records are gathered
and other requirements are met.
Two subpopulations of children who face increased policy barriers to education
are unaccompanied homeless youth and homeless pre-schoolers. Homeless
youth are often prevented from enrolling in and attending school by curfew
laws, liability concerns, and legal guardianship requirements (Anderson
et al., 1995). Homeless pre-schoolers also face difficulty accessing public
preschool education. According to a 1997 survey conducted by the National
Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, 30% of state coordinators estimated
that few or no homeless children were enrolled in preschool. In addition,
70% of all respondents (state coordinators and service providers) reported
that funding was inadequate to meet the preschool needs of homeless children,
and 80% of all respondents indicated that public preschool programs have
waiting lists from less than 30 days to more than 12 months (National
Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, 1997). Findings from a three-year
Head Start Demonstration Project reveal numerous challenges in serving
homeless children and their families, including recruiting and enrolling
homeless families; retaining homeless families and children in project
services; involving homeless parents; and meeting the unique needs of
homeless children and parents (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
1999).
The McKinney Education of Homeless Children and Youth program will be
reauthorized by Congress in 1999, along with other Elementary and Secondary
Education Act programs. For more information on reauthorization, please
contact Barbara Duffield at 202.737.6444, ext. 312, or email: nch@ari.net.
CONCLUSION
What homeless children need most of all is a home. While they are experiencing
homelessness, however, children desperately need to 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.
RESOURCES
Every state has a state coordinator for the education of homeless children
and youth. To locate the coordinator in your state, see the Directory
of State Contacts for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth.
In addition, the National Center for Homeless Education serves as a clearinghouse
for information and resources on the educational rights of homeless children
and youth. The web site contains the full text of the McKinney Act as
well as numerous educational resources.
Anderson, Leslie et al. An Evaluation of State and Local Efforts to Serve
the Educational Needs of Homeless Children and Youth, 1995. Available,
free, from the U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Ave., SW,
Room 4168, Washington, DC 20202-8240; 202/401-0590.
National Association of State Coordinators for the Education of Homeless
Children and Youth. Making the Grade: Successes and Challenges in Educating
Homeless Children and Youth, 1996. Available, free, at http://nch.ari.net/education/.
National Coalition for the Homeless. America's Homeless Children: Will
Their Future Be Different?, 1997. Available, free, at http://nch.ari.net/edsurvey97.
National Coalition for the Homeless. Broken Lives: Denial of Education
to Homeless Children. 1987. Available for $5.00 from the National Coalition
for the Homeless, 1012 14th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005;
202/737-6444; email: nch@ari.net
National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty. Blocks to Their Future:
A Report on the Barriers to Preschool Education for Homeless Children,
1997. Available for $20.00 from the National Law Center on Homelessness
& Poverty, 918 F St., NW, Suite 412, Washington, DC 20004-1406; 202/638-2535.
National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty. A Foot in the Schoolhouse
Door: Progress and Barriers to the Education of Homeless Children, 1995.
Available for $20.00 from the National Law Center on Homelessness &
Poverty, 918 F St., NW, Suite 412, Washington, DC 20004-1406; 202/638-2535.
Quint, Sharon. Schooling Homeless Children: A Working Model for America's
Public Schools.1994. Available for $17.45 from Teachers College Press,
1234 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10027; 212/678-3929.
Shinn, Marybeth and Beth Weitzman. "Homeless Families Are Different,"
in Homelessness in America, 1996. Available for $43.50 from the National
Coalition for the Homeless, 1012 14th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington,
DC 20005; 202/737-6444, email: nch@ari.net
Stronge, James, Ed. Educating Homeless Children and Adolescents: Evaluating
Policy and Practice, 1992. Available for $29.95 from Sage Publications,
Inc., 2455 Teller Rd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91320; 805/499-0721.
U.S. Conference of Mayors. A Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness
in America's Cities: 1998. Available for $15.00 from the U.S. Conference
of Mayors, 1620 Eye St., NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC, 20006-4005, 202/293-7330.
U.S. Department of Education. Meeting the Needs of Homeless Children and
Youth: A Resource for Schools and Communities, 1997. Available, free,
from the U.S. Department of Education, Compensatory Education Programs,
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, 600 Independence Avenue,
SW, Washington, DC 20202-6132; 1-800-879-5327.
U.S. Department of Education. 1995 Report to Congress on the Education
of Homeless Children and Youth, 1995. Available, free, from the Office
of Compensatory Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education, 1250
Maryland Ave., SW (4400 Portals), Washington, DC 20024; 202/260-0826.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children,
Youth, and Families, Head Start Bureau. Serving Homeless Families: Descriptions,
Effective Practices, and Lessons Learned, 1999. Available, free, from
the Head Start Publications Management Center, by email at HSPMC9@idt.net
or by fax at 703.683.5769.
Vissing, Yvonne. Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Homeless Children and Families
in Small Town America, 1996. Available for $20.45 (paperback) from The
University Press of Kentucky, 663 S. Limestone St., Lexington, KY 40508-4008;
800/839-6855.
Last updated - June 1999 - National Coalition for the Homeless
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