U.S. Department of Education Acting Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education Michael Yudin, left,delivered the keynote address today at the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children & Youth (NAEHCY) 23rd Annual Conference In Pittsburgh. NAEHCY is the only professional organization in the US dedicated to meeting the educational needs of children and youth experiencing homelessness. Attendees at the conference were primarily directors of homeless programs from across the country.
Yudin discussed the challenges of vulnerable student populations, particularly homeless students, and how the DOE is addressing their needs.
The collapse of the housing industry/the mortage crisis, and the 12% unemployment rate in California have increased the number of school children who are homeless. As Kelly Puente reported last week in the Long Beach Press-Telegram:
The many faces of poverty affect thousands of families in Long Beach. In the Long Beach Unified School District, an estimated 5,000 students are classified as homeless - roughly 14 percent of the student population. [emphasis ours] In 2010, the figure was slightly under 2,500.
"It does seem like a high number, but we have to remember that Long Beach is a big city," said Rhonda Haramis, program coordinator for the Bethune Transitional Center. "Fortunately, we have many programs that can help families in need.
The LBUSD's Bethune Transitional Center for Homeless Students is one of those programs. Founded in 1991, Bethune provides aid for homeless students, including referrals to housing, mental health services, assistance with transportation and help buying uniforms, books and other supplies....
School districts are required by federal law to provide homeless students with a range of services that can include transportation, free meals, immunizations and counseling. But the process of identifying a student and determining if they fit the definition of "homeless" is tricky and controversial, Haramis said.
Under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, any child who "lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence" can be classified as homeless.
That includes children sleeping in shelters, cars or public places, as well as children living in substandard housing and those who are in families "doubled up" in homes with other families due to economic hardship.
For professionals: the NAEHCY has produced a series of videos, The McKinney-Vento Act in Our Schools video series on DVD...for training sessions ...These videos build awareness of homelessness while providing basic information about the law, and schools' and communities' obligations to children and youth in homeless situations. This information is presented in a series of short films told from the perspective of real educators in schools.
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