The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted children's mental health, with an increase in referrals for children with behavioral concerns and aggression, depressive symptoms, and school refusal. This influx has made it challenging for teachers to return to the classroom and is placing additional strain on a healthcare system that is already…

In the 2021-22 school year, public schools identified roughly 1.2 million students experiencing homelessness, according to recent U.S. Department of Education data (NCHE, 2023). The high mobility that may occur because of homelessness creates challenges that impact students academically. Addressing these challenges requires cross-sector…

This study provides valuable insights into effective interagency collaboration strategies for supporting students experiencing homelessness. Through qualitative analysis, three overarching themes and seven sub-themes emerged, highlighting the importance of partnership building, support system enhancement, and addressing the complex needs of…

Globally, approximately 400,000 youth are diagnosed with pediatric cancer each year. Treatment-related side effects, psychosocial challenges, and frequent school absences may adversely impact learning and the education experience among these youth. Efforts to enhance interagency collaboration between health care settings and community schools are…

One of the most significant changes to college mental health is the growing use of telehealth vendors to provide, extend, or augment mental health services provided by college and university counseling centers. In a time of sharply increased demand for services, new investments in the mental health marketplace, and the perception that mental…

Children and youth in foster care experience poor K-12 educational outcomes compared to their peers without foster care histories. Child welfare and school professionals hold shared responsibility for ensuring their educational well-being based on federal policies and role expectations. However, professionals often experience challenges in…

This brief is directed towards relief agencies. These agencies play a critical role in connecting families, children, and youth who have been displaced by disasters to needed services, including enabling children and youth to continue their education. The brief: (1) explains the importance of school attendance for children and youth who have lost…

In March, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), within the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund to address the specific and urgent needs of children and youth experiencing homelessness. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona emphasized that services provided under the ARP-HCY…

Within Massachusetts alone, 23,000 students are experiencing homelessness. And, with the expiration of COVID-era protections like an eviction moratorium and rental assistance, many experts predict that number will increase. Child and family homelessness is associated with a host of negative outcomes including poor physical and mental health, lower…

This practitioner brief is one of a series highlighting concrete strategies that education leaders can use to increase equity in education by building learning environments that meet all students' social and emotional needs. This brief discusses how school districts can use partnerships with outside organizations and agencies to help provide…

Nearly a quarter of all undergraduate students in the U.S. are parents. All parents, especially younger parents and those returning to school after years in the workforce, face a system that was not designed to accommodate their needs as caretakers. The needs of student parents have become even more acute during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has…

Emergency room (ER) visits for 12- to 17-year-olds suspected of attempting suicide increased 31 percent during the pandemic, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This trend was especially pronounced for girls, whose ER visits after suspected attempts were 50.6 percent higher in the winter of 2021 than during the…