Since the McKinney-Vento Act and revisions made by the HEARTH Act did not specifically cater to the housing needs of homeless youth, I thought that it would be beneficial to create a program under these policies that would provide housing for Liz and other homeless unaccompanied youth. The Transitional Housing program would not only meet Liz’s housing needs, but also meet her basic needs, teach her essential skills, as well as link her to supportive services. In addition, connecting Liz to the McKinney-Vento Education Program would ensure that she is provided with stability, consistency, and services while also ensuring that she is accomplishing academic success. Therefore, by providing Liz with housing, teaching her necessary skills, and providing her with other supportive services as well as educational support this would help to eliminate or reduce her risk of becoming…
The project was designed to address high increase in homeless youth not transitioning into adulthood successfully. In fall 2011, a review of the literature confirmed the existence of high rates of homeless youth not transitioning into adulthood successfully. The literature attributed the problem to several causal factors of low income jobs, unemployment, and lack of formal education. There has not been a prototype project conducted within the literature. A need assessment survey of the target population and a data extraction tool was used to represent the target population indicated that new program would help in addressing this problem. A change project was designed at the beginning of the semester, and the objectives were to increase the knowledge of basic life skills by 10%. Evaluation findings showed that the new program increased the level of knowledge of basic skills and rate of youth returning to homelessness decreased by 10%.…
According to a recent study conducted by the National Center on Family Homelessness, there are approximately 1.5 million children in America that experience homelessness each year. Of these children 902,108 are school-aged and enrolled in school. Approximately seventy-eight percent of these enrolled children are in kindergarten through eighth grade, while the remaining twenty-two percent are in ninth through twelfth grade.[1] Homelessness presents a number of obstacles to academic success. Without legislation aimed at lessening the negative effects that homelessness can have on a student’s academic performance, academic success (or even regular…
America is slowly seeing homeless college students. Bit by bit the veil of invisibility is lifted. According to researchers at the University of Wisconsin,…
There are behavioral readiness needs of the children growing up in poverty with a role in promoting motivation engagement and learning. It raises questions like how would children who live in poverty benefit from educational programs with grants if they did not have increased support? Homelessness is an additional risk factor for early school success over the above effects placing children behind their low income peers. HEARTH ACT (homes emergency assistance and rapid transition to housing act 2009) chronic homelessness refers to an individual or family that resides in a place not meant for human habitation a safe haven or in an emergency shelter, has been homeless for at least 1 year, has a disorder, serious mental illness or developmental disability (section 401). A typical homeless family is composed of a single mother and two minor…
Homelessness in the United States is a growing issue among our youth, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services homeless and runaway youth is estimated to between 575,000 to 1.6…
That compares their literacy knowledge to that of children who do not live in poverty. Understanding social class diversity enhances the learning of all students. And Class differences in child-rearing practices may sound alarming or oversimplified. Lower-class children are more likely to have unstable family situations. Their parents typically have low-wage jobs and are more frequently laid off, causing family stress and more arbitrary discipline. This paper explains how language and attitudes of low income families act as barriers to success in education. And what types of programs or interventions are most useful in overcoming those barriers.…
Homelessness and poverty is a big problem for children who attend school. In recent years it has become more of a problem and 1.5 million students are homeless according to Introduction to Teaching. The article I chose concerns the situation of students being homeless and what educators can do to help them. It is related to chapter two because chapter two discusses the issues homeless children deal with while going to school, and the article is a guide to assist those children. The article goes over simple, yet effective things of how educator can take action as well as make the point of why it is so important that we do help them. It is imperative that educators are there to support students who do not have a stable living situation. These…
Substance abuse and being homeless are indistinguishably intertwined. One triggering factor of substance abuse is the consequence of being homeless. Most adolescents who are homeless usually have other disorders such as; serious mental illnesses, chronic physical health problems, and some even have a history of trauma. They need safe housing, appropriate interventions, and client-centered care. It is estimated that half of all people who are homeless have diagnosable substance use disorders at some time in their lives. It is also estimated that alcohol abuse occurs in half of the homeless and drug abuse in a third of this same…
“Homelessness is the condition of people without a permanent dwelling, such as a house or apartment.” In the United States over 500,000 people, almost a quarter of them children, were homeless this year. That’s over half a million-people living on streets, cars and or homeless shelters. 49,933 people, veterans to be specific, were identified across the United States as homeless, 51% of these homeless veterans have disabilities, 50% have serious mental issues, 70% have a substance abuse problem. Nearly one-quarter, 23% of the homeless are children under the age of 18. 10% are between the ages of 18 and 24, and 66% are over the age of 25.…
Parents can help to modify their child’s lifestyle and offset the effects of homelessness by actively and consistently looking for employment, finding support programs that assist homeless families with children, and seeking help such as rehab or counseling if substance abuse is a factor in their homelessness. The community can help by volunteering their personal time, donating money to shelters as well as toiletries, educational supplies, and clothing. Another way to modify factors associated with homelessness is to support public policy and legislation that supports more funding and resources to shelters and/or programs that aid the…
The text staes,” Were you aware that 2/3 of the adults experiencing homelessness have not received a high school diploma or completed a GED?”. This shows that not having a good education is a leading factor in homelessness. The text also states,” .…
Many children are forced into homelessness due to poverty or household instability. For homeless children, the loss of their homes is often more sudden, more unexpected, and more traumatic. The family is suddenly thrust outside of its own community, friends, support system, and schools. They begin to focus on their survival instead of their education and becomes the last thing on their mind. What many people don’t understand is homelessness affects a child's ability to succeed in school, their legal rights regarding education, and what schools can do to mitigate the potentially harmful effects of homelessness on children (Rafferty).…
Homelessness is defined as people who are living in places not meant for human inhabitance where they temporarily reside. Among youth in the United States, homelessness dates back as far as the country’s earliest history. Adolescents deviated and went off on their way to seek economic opportunity and adventure while the country was being expanded westward. During the 1800s, a widespread of homelessness among poor immigrant youth who were unwanted and unneeded in the workforce was taking place. Later, another wave of homeless youth was brought by The Great Depression. Because large parts of the overall population were homeless, issues related specifically to youth homelessness were ignored. In the 1960s, a new group of homeless youth were labeled “runaways”.…
Homeless youth are at a higher risk for physical and sexual abuse, mental health disabilities, substance abuse, and even death. Homeless youth living on the streets are more likely of high-risk behaviors. About 5,000 youth die each year due to assault, illness, or suicide. Homeless youth are at greater risk of anxiety and depression, and low self-esteem. They are also more likely to exchange sex for food, clothing, and shelter. Most youth begin to deal drugs just to meet basic needs. Difficulty attending school is common due to the lack of required enrollment records or lack of transportation. Studies show that about 80 percent of homeless youth use drugs and alcohol as a means to self-medicate and deal with their experiences and abuse they…
