Each year, between 1.5 and 1.6 million youth run away from home or are forced out of their homes by their parents. While many of these youth return home quickly, others remain separated from their families and live in homeless situations. Every local educational agency (LEA) has a designated homeless liaison, with the responsibility to identify…

In this commentary, the author reflects on a special issue that explores how educational institutions serve homeless and highly mobile students as well as their families. The number of homeless youth continues to rise, leading the author to question why structural constraints have not been removed. In addition to reflecting on the articles, he…

Children and youth who experience homelessness face many barriers to education, yet school can be a source of stability, affirmation, and hope during a time of chaos and trauma when a young person loses his or her housing. Community service providers play a key role in linking homeless children and youth to schools and providing wraparound…

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) submits this report to the House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions pursuant to section 649(l)(3) of the Head Start Act (the Act). This report contains findings based on data collected on the U.S. Department of…

This Research-to-Impact brief is the fifth in a series by Chapin Hall's Voices of Youth Count on understanding and addressing youth homelessness. The brief estimates that nearly 4.2 million youth and young adults in America experienced some form of homelessness during a 12-month period. It highlights research related to the specific experiences of…

Early childhood interventions such as home visiting and kindergarten preparation programs can mitigate the effects of toxic stress and equip children with the skills and support needed for a successful transition into school. In this article, the author discusses her interaction with a student in her third-grade class who was not successfully…

Despite the progress so far recorded on the Education For All (EFA) programme in Nigeria, vulnerable children such as students with disabilities, street children referred to as "almajirai", nomadic Fulani children, orphans, the girl-child particularly in Northern Nigeria are yet to qualitatively access and benefit from the programme.…

According to research (Fargo et al, 2012) and federal data (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD], 2015), veterans experience homelessness at a higher rate than non-veterans. Many veterans experience homelessness as individuals, while others experience homelessness with their families (2015), which may include school-age children.…

Although education is in many ways a responsibility of states and localities, the U.S. federal government also has an important role to play. National laws, court rulings, and policy guidance help ensure that English Learner (EL) and immigrant-background students have equitable access to a meaningful education. It is then up to states and school…

Over 95 percent of the jobs created since 2010 have gone to college-educated workers, and by 2020, 65 percent of all jobs will require education beyond high school. For youth experiencing homelessness, post-secondary education is critical for improving life outcomes, including reducing the risk of continued homelessness as adults. Yet without…

Among the most critical pre-pandemic inequities that have not received sufficient attention is the fact that many districts are not meeting their legal and moral obligation to educate students with disabilities, which must include providing needed mental health services, behavioral supports and educationally sound interventions by well qualified…

This is the executive summary for the report, "Dual Enrollment for Students from Special Populations: Improving College Transitions for English Learners, Students with Disabilities, Foster Youth, and Young People Experiencing Homelessness." Interest in dual enrollment is rising in California and nationwide, but students from special…

Educational institutions, like most social service organizations, need to recognize intersectionality and complexity and move away from monolithic conceptions of homelessness--if they recognize homelessness at all. This first person account of a gay, Cambodian refugee illustrates the enormous complexity schools face in forming institutional…

After disasters, displaced families long to return to a sense of normalcy, so reconnecting children to school is especially important during this time. While providing the structure of the typical education setting, schools can help students overcome the trauma of a disaster and regain their academic and social stability. Once children are safely…

Over the last decade, California leaders have made tremendous progress on supporting kids in some crucial areas. They have vastly increased the percentage of children enrolled in health insurance and made paid family leave available for most workers. They have also invested in free school meals, committed to universal transitional kindergarten,…