This article discusses a number of administrative dilemmas faced by homeless families. For example, homeless families are often prevented from enrolling their children in public schools due to their inability to provide age, health, and educational records. Another administrative dilemma faced by homeless families is providing the school with an…

On Monday, August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina and the floodwaters from the breeched levees destroyed all 14 schools in Louisiana's St. Bernard Parish. Although most residents had been evacuated before the hurricane hit, 1,500 men, women, and children rode out the storm in Chalmette High School. The district superintendent and the school leadership…

This study examines the interrelationships between childhood abuse, exposure to maternal domestic violence, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology in a multiethnic sample of 111 adult female residents of a domestic violence (DV) shelter. Participants completed structured interviews about the DV and their prior violence exposure,…

This study surveyed 337 mothers residing in New York City homeless shelters regarding their backgrounds and experiences, comparing those who were teen mothers to homeless mothers who had children later in life. Two groups of homeless families emerged: those with a foundation for advancement and those deprived of opportunities by the early burden…

Using consensual qualitative research, we considered how battered womens intimate partner abuse and subsequent experiences and expectations of shelter services and assistance of the criminal justice system have affected their work and employment opportunities. Results indicated that participants expected shelters to assist them with finding…

The article explores how homelessness may impact on the educational participation of children and young people in families living in emergency accommodation in Dublin. Many difficulties arise in terms of maintaining consistent schooling for children when they are part of a homeless family, including problems getting to and from school if living at…

Compares the social support of 115 low-income housed mothers and 92 homeless mothers residing in emergency shelters, transitional housing, and doubled-up arrangements. Results reveal that homeless mothers in emergency shelters and transitional housing had significantly less contact with friends and relatives. Implications for policy development…

This testimony on federal assistance for homeless people is based on issued reports and testimony over recent years. It highlights: (1) the federal approach to assisting homeless people; (2) actions of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to overcome coordination and administrative challenges posed by its homelessness programs;…

Dozens of natural disaster shelters (mostly schools) in five Caribbean islands were assessed as to their vulnerability and the needed retrofitting to upgrade them. This report provides retrofit consultants with terms of reference and building design criteria for withstanding various natural disasters, as well as estimated global costs of various…

School safety is a human concern, one that every school and community must take seriously and strive continually to achieve. It is also a legal concern; schools can be held liable if they do not make good-faith efforts to provide a safe and secure school environment. How schools are built and maintained is an integral part of school safety and…

Data collected by the Massachusetts Department of Education (Department) during the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) suggest that, despite significant efforts to identify homeless students, many are going undetected by their schools. Since the reauthorization of the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Education Improvement Act under the No…

To assess the status of hunger and homelessness in U.S. cities during 2001, data were collected from 27 cities on demands for emergency food assistance and shelter and the capacity of local agencies to meet that demand; causes of hunger and homelessness and demographics of populations experiencing them; exemplary responses; availability of…

This document outlines the existing conditions of school buildings and their vulnerability to natural hazards on the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, and makes recommendations on how to better protect them from these hazards. Profiles of the schools are detailed and the roles and responsibilities of the various organizations concerning…

We describe a comprehensive program to train emergency shelter staff in effective methods for dealing with youth who have behavioral and emotional problems; assess the degree to which staff implemented the treatment approach; measure the impact of the intervention on shelter-wide incidents such as out-of-control behavior, runaways, and violence…

The imminent closing of their school led one school's teachers to design the curriculum for the last six months around the theme of shelter. Activities utilized included thinking and verbalizing about the idea of shelter, building and writing about shelters, building cameras and taking photographs, and going on field trips. (IS)