School Aged and Homeless

7/30/2019 School Aged and Homeless

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School Aged and

Homeless

Supporting your kids by knowing their rights andbeing their advocate in and out of the classroom

*Presented by Rhea Matar- Spring 2013*


2/17

Children can be homeless too

In August 2009, 2 surveys were done at localshelters, soup kitchens, clinics and otheragencies that serve the homeless

They showed that in Champaign County, thereare 594 homeless people, including

358 children

(United States Census Bureau estimates 2010 population of Champaign County to be 201,081)

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009-10-15/survey-homeless-populations-increase-continues.html
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009-10-15/survey-homeless-populations-increase-continues.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009-10-15/survey-homeless-populations-increase-continues.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009-10-15/survey-homeless-populations-increase-continues.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009-10-15/survey-homeless-populations-increase-continues.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009-10-15/survey-homeless-populations-increase-continues.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009-10-15/survey-homeless-populations-increase-continues.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009-10-15/survey-homeless-populations-increase-continues.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009-10-15/survey-homeless-populations-increase-continues.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009-10-15/survey-homeless-populations-increase-continues.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009-10-15/survey-homeless-populations-increase-continues.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009-10-15/survey-homeless-populations-increase-continues.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009-10-15/survey-homeless-populations-increase-continues.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009-10-15/survey-homeless-populations-increase-continues.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009-10-15/survey-homeless-populations-increase-continues.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009-10-15/survey-homeless-populations-increase-continues.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009-10-15/survey-homeless-populations-increase-continues.html


3/17

Top Reasons Reported

Unemployment

Inability to pay rent, mortgage or utility bills

Family problems Personal illness

Bad credit history

Substance abuse Turn of economy


4/17

homeless[hohm-lis] adjective

Defined for children by both Illinois and federal law as:

- Sharing the housing of other people due to loss of housing, doubledup

- Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks or camping grounds do to lack ofalternative adequate accommodations

- Emergency or transitional shelters

- Being abandoned at a hospital

- Awaiting foster care placement

- Living in cars, parks, public places, abandoned buildings, bus or train

stations


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McKinney-Vento Homeless

Assistance Act

42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq

that every such child or youth be enrolled in andattend the appropriate school on every schoolday (their home school)

that school admission for such children andyouth be immediate (in spite of lack of

paperwork, transportation, etc).

The situation be handled sensitively and in achild and family-centered mannerin accordance

with McKinney-Vento http://www.isbe.state.il.us/homeless/pdf/policy.pdf
http://www.isbe.state.il.us/homeless/pdf/policy.pdfhttp://www.isbe.state.il.us/homeless/pdf/policy.pdf


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Choice of Schools

Homeless children are entitled to:

1) Attend the school they were enrolled in when

they were previously permanently housed2) Attend the school where they were last

enrolled

3) Attend any public school that non homeless

students who live in attendance area wherethe homeless child is actually living are able toattend

http://www.isbe.state.il.us/homeless/pdf/policy.pdf


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Transportation

If child continues enrollment in school of origin,school districts must ensure transportation isprovided

Parents are expected to make good faith effortto get their kids to school (relatives, friends, etc)

But ultimately, the school district is responsiblefor that child getting to school on any givenschool day

http://www.isbe.state.il.us/homeless/pdf/policy.pdf


8/17

What you can do

Be sensitive.**You student may be hungry, exhausted, embarrassed, wound up, angry,etc. They need you to be patient and understanding more than ever.

Be reasonable.

**Expectations should be high for all students, but use your gut judgment ofwhen to push and when to back off

**Understand that when their stability is so shaken that even where they sleepis uncertain, SCHOOL IS OFTEN NOT THE TOP PRIORITY FOR THEM.

Be an advocate.**Know their rights. Be in touch with the parents as much as possible. Be intouch with the homeless liaison. Coordinate the network of staff support inthe school for your student. Ensure other students are sensitive and kind.


9/17

Back to Basics

Food

Shelter

Safety

***If these

needs

arent met,

how arechildren

supposed

to learn?


10/17

Know Your State and Community

1/5 Illinois Children live in poverty (21% in ChampaignCounty)

Since 2009, 18,000 children have lost access to early

childhood education services

State funding for school/community based mental healthservices for children has been cut by 20%

1 in 4 Illinois children are raised in single parenthouseholds

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2012-02-13/report-illinois-children-faring-poorly.html
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2012-02-13/report-illinois-children-faring-poorly.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2012-02-13/report-illinois-children-faring-poorly.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2012-02-13/report-illinois-children-faring-poorly.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2012-02-13/report-illinois-children-faring-poorly.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2012-02-13/report-illinois-children-faring-poorly.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2012-02-13/report-illinois-children-faring-poorly.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2012-02-13/report-illinois-children-faring-poorly.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2012-02-13/report-illinois-children-faring-poorly.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2012-02-13/report-illinois-children-faring-poorly.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2012-02-13/report-illinois-children-faring-poorly.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2012-02-13/report-illinois-children-faring-poorly.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2012-02-13/report-illinois-children-faring-poorly.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2012-02-13/report-illinois-children-faring-poorly.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2012-02-13/report-illinois-children-faring-poorly.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2012-02-13/report-illinois-children-faring-poorly.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2012-02-13/report-illinois-children-faring-poorly.html


11/17

'An invisible problem':

Homelessness also affectsyoung

When you're a young kid and you don't have a home,you have a lot of fears, a lot of anxieties, and justsleeping is hard," said Barbara Daly, assistantsuperintendent at the Regional Office of Education inRantoul. "You cannot learn when you're so terriblydistracted."

Full article:http://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.html
http://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.htmlhttp://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2009-12-27/invisible-problem-homelessness-also-affects-young.html


12/17

Homeless Liaison

2001 reauthorization of McKinney-Vento Act required alocal homeless liaison in every school district

Helps increase identification of homless children/youth

Increase services for children

Better coordinate among school district programs

Increased awareness of homelessness and its effect oneducation

Better coordination between districts and local agencies Champaign Liaison:

Regina Parnell (Family Liaison DCFS/EducationAdvisor/Student Services Coordinator)

[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


13/17

Lynn Strevell

Homeless Liaison for Dupage County Has had the position for 7 years

Position opened up in 2005 with 269 students

identified as homeless 2012 population of identified students who were

homeless: 1,287

2011 population of Dupage County: 923,222 Position funded by McKinney-Vento

Wanted to expose her children to real life

examples of how a majority of the world lives(contrary to growing up in Napervillemy hometown!)


14/17

Lynn Strevell (continued)

Families who are doubled up may have somewhere to live, but areconsidered homeless for educational purposes so child can be protectedfrom being uprooted from school or origin

Part of position is training people in the school districts since most familieswill not self identify as homeless

Has reached out to local colleges to speak to pre-service teachers and onlygot one response

Has reached out to local administrators to present at institute days butthings like curriculum take precedent because that is what teachers areevaluated onand they have not given her the opportunity to educateteachers in that area.

Teachers are often the most likely to identify their students who needservices if they know what to look for and what questions to ask

Teachers can be the best advocates for their students living in poverty ifthey know their students rights, what services they can receive and how

they can best support them in the classroom


15/17

Regina Parnell

- Homeless Liaison for Champaign County

- Phone: (217) 373-1305

- Email: [email protected]

Lynn Strevell

- Homeless Liaison for Dupage County

- Phone: (630)-524-1389

- Email: [email protected]

Contacts

Illi i P f i l T hi
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


16/17

Illinois Professional Teaching

Standards:

The competent teacher: *2A: understands that students physical, social, emotional, ethical,

and cognitive development influences learning.

*3G: facilitates a learning community in which individual differencesare respected.

*9K. develops relationships with parents and guardians to acquirean understanding of the students lives outside of the school in aprofessional manner that is fair and equitable.

*9L. works effectively with parents/guardians and other members ofthe community from diverse home and community situations andseeks to develop cooperative partnerships in order to promotestudents learning and well being.

*9M. identifies and uses community resources to enhance studentslearning and to provide opportunities for students to explore careeropportunities.


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To Learn More!

The National Center for Homeless

EducationsLocal Homeless Liaison

Toolkit (Revised September 2007)

http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/

toolkit/toolkit.pdf

Illinois State Board of Education Policy

http://www.isbe.state.il.us/homeless/pdf/po

licy.pdf
http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/toolkit/toolkit.pdfhttp://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/toolkit/toolkit.pdfhttp://www.isbe.state.il.us/homeless/pdf/policy.pdfhttp://www.isbe.state.il.us/homeless/pdf/policy.pdfhttp://www.isbe.state.il.us/homeless/pdf/policy.pdfhttp://www.isbe.state.il.us/homeless/pdf/policy.pdfhttp://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/toolkit/toolkit.pdfhttp://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/toolkit/toolkit.pdf

Documents

School Aged and Homeless