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ERIC Number: ED357118
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1990-Sep
Pages: 36
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Stuck at the Shelter: Homeless Children and the D.C. School System.
Friedman, Lorraine; Stamen, Justine
A study was done of homeless children and their access to education in District of Columbia Public Schools and of implementation of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act in that school district. A review of District of Columbia proposals for programing and for funding, interviews with school and city officials, and interviews with homeless children and their families provide the data for the study. The investigation found that in the District of Columbia compliance with the McKinney Act is at best extremely limited. The District of Columbia has failed to comply with several provisions of the Act: (1) there is no system in place for determining school placement for homeless children; and (2) there is not even a designated person to make determinations as required by the McKinney Act. In addition, the most serious problem homeless children face in the District of Columbia is transportation. Of the 21 families interviewed for the study, over 50 percent said that their children regularly miss school because they cannot afford transportation costs. Interviews revealed a direct correlation between missed schooling due to lack of transportation and educational performance. The study offers recommendations, appends the substance of the interviews, and lists five references. (JB)
National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 918 F Street, N.W., Suite 412, Washington, DC 20004 ($10, reduced rates available for non-profit organizations).
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, Washington, DC.
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Stewart B McKinney Homeless Assistance Act 1987
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A