While the economic downturn has appropriately become the top priority of policy makers, one element of the crisis has gone largely unnoticed: its impact on children and youth. Largely due to the economic and housing crises, many school districts across the country report increases in the number of homeless students in the classroom. "The Economic…

Published annually since 1997, Newark Kids Count tracks key trends in child health and well-being in New Jersey's largest city with the latest statistics available. Newark Kids Count includes the latest statistics, along with five-year trend data, in the following areas: population and demographics, family economic security, affordable housing,…

This report presents the deliberations of the Northwest Regional Advisory Committee (NW RAC), one of 10 RACs established under the Educational Technical Assistance Act of 2002 to assess the educational needs of the region. The Northwest RAC accepted its charge to identify educational needs and to make recommendations, working collaboratively as…

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)

Two years ago Congress passed the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act that provides $5 million a year for state programs to ensure that children are not prevented by bureaucratic or transportation obstacles from obtaining a public education. Although some homeless education plans are helping the children, the funding is inadequate. (MLF)

Studies sheltered homeless and low-income housed families to examine predictors of academic achievement, focusing on housing status, mobility, and race/ethnicity. Results reveal that housing status was not associated with academic achievement. Discusses how homeless and housed children had comparable rates of absenteeism and other school-related…

Title I, Part A, of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) provides financial assistance through State Educational Agencies (SEAs) to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs or school districts) and public schools with high numbers or percentages of disadvantaged children to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic content and student…

Increasing numbers of diverse families, caught in the web of poverty, are becoming homeless. Homeless shelters have tended to focus on meeting only critical necessities such as food and shelter. However, the needs of the homeless are much more complex and challenging. Homeless families have deep-rooted problems and fractured relationships. Staff…

This book takes an interdisciplinary approach in discussing the issue of homeless children and the resolution of the problem. An introduction by Nancy A. Boxill presents background on the nature of the problem and summarizes the subsequent papers. "Home and Homelessness in the Lives of Children" by Leanne G. Rivlin analyzes the impact on children…

Residency requirements, transportation needs, lost records, the timeliness for special education placement, and substantiated guardianship pose the main reasons for homeless children's barred access to education. Two national organizations offer suggestions for removing such barriers, and exemplary efforts to educate homeless youth are occurring…

Homeless children are usually thrust outside their neighborhoods and into a different school or school district. School districts attempting to meet the educational, emotional, and socialization needs of these children face numerous challenges. This article discusses homeless New Jersey children, highlighting residency, records, transportation,…

This study investigated the strengths homeless children exhibit. Homeless children living in shelters and children of the same peer group living in low income housing were interviewed about home activities, interests, abilities, talents, character strengths, autonomous behavior, and interactions with adults. All children were selected from first,…

This paper describes the response of one locality, a rural county in Western Massachusetts, to the reality of rural homelessness. Jessie's House, in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, is a short-term emergency shelter providing meals, housing, and advocacy to homeless families and individuals. The shelter has a staff of three full-time residents and…

An anecdotal account by a Queens (New York) school principal about serving homeless students and their families during the 1988-89 school year. (MLF)

Investigated how homeless Brazilian youth experience the street and examined factors linked to positive and negative feelings about the street. Found great diversity in youths' views of the street. Findings support the value of the sentence completion task in exploring the subjective experiences of street youth. (Author)