In a given year, approximately 1.6 million children in the United States experience homelessness, and research shows that their living conditions generally place these children at risk for educational underperformance and failure at school (Hall, 2007; Love, 2009). Although lack of education or low levels of education on the part of a head of…

Discusses the lives and feelings of homeless youth living in the streets of America's cities. Includes a photo essay on street youth expressing their desperation and alienation in graffiti. (KH)

Describes the Book Club of Reading Connection, a nonprofit organization in Virginia, that gives books to children in homeless shelters and for up to one year after they leave the shelter. The key to the book club's effectiveness and its longevity is communication between the Reading Connection and the families. (SLD)

Describes progress made in recent years in addressing the educational needs of homeless children and youth in America and notes concerns that remain, including awareness and perceptions of homelessness, early childhood educational needs, interventions, interagency collaboration, and the need for comprehensive evaluations of educational efforts for…

In order to increase the knowledge base on the public policy issues pertaining to family homelessness, Columbia University and the Institute for Children & Poverty designed and implemented an extensive survey on the demographics of homeless families. Data on more than 140 variables were collected from 743 homeless heads-of-households in the spring…

Research on homeless children and families carried out by the Institute for Children and Poverty over the last 6 years is compiled in this document. The contents range from programmatic solutions and policy recommendations to simple "snapshots" of homeless families. Much of the research is based on the experiences of Homes for the…

The plan describes a continuing effort in Illinois to improve access to education and school success for homeless children and youth. The Illinois plan was revised to meet the requirements of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Amendments Act of 1987 by reforming the original document into sections that highlight the major requirements of…

Profiles of the 1995-96 implementation of the Stewart B. McKinney Act's Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Programs in 37 states are presented in this document. In these 37 states, at least 173,082 homeless children and youth were served through programs funded by the McKinney Act, and at least 465 local education agencies received…

As required by law, state education agencies receiving funds under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act submitted reports on the number and location of homeless children and youth in their states to the U.S. Department of Education. These reports also include data on the nature and extent of problems of access to education and student…

Focuses on the educational needs of homeless children in New York City, obstacles to obtaining schooling and available services, and innovative strategies for the delivery of educational services. Part 1 provides an overview of the educational needs of homeless children, including a summary of the research literature on educational problems that…

The first paper describes The Los Angeles Free Clinic and its services, which are specifically designed to respond to the needs of low-income and homeless youth within the community. The paper describes a free-of-charge, free-of-judgment comprehensive response system that exists because of collaboration with other health facilities such as…

This report reviews and analyzes programs to educate homeless children and youth. A look at the national perspective describes the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, its passage and content. The paper argues that the Department of Education, charged with implementing the Act, failed to do so. Delays, inadequate monitoring, and…

The Kansas state plan for the education of homeless youth and children provides operational strategies to help local school districts and attendance centers facilitate an environment that is conducive to meeting this population's special needs. The plan confronts barriers to homeless children and youth to provide them with public education that is…

In 1987, Congress passed the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. One of its provisions was that each child of a homeless individual and each homeless youth have access to a free, appropriate public education. As required by the Act, the state prepared a plan for indirect and direct educational services to the homeless children of Hawaii.…

This paper reports on a study of the Houston (Texas) Independent School District's Lighted Schoolhouse Program, which is designed to serve as an intermediary between homeless children and community service agencies, to provide a range of after-school activities for unattended children, and to provide opportunities for participation of families and…