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Associated Press
02-07-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Homeless student counts in California are up. Some say that's a good thing
In Kern County, the first rule in counting homeless students is not saying 'homeless.' Instead, school staff use phrases like 'struggling with stable housing' or 'families in transition.' The approach seems to have worked: More families are sharing their housing status with their children's schools, which means more students are getting services. 'There's a lot of stigma attached to the word 'homeless,'' said Curt Williams, director of homeless and foster youth services for the Kern County Office of Education. 'When you remove that word, it all changes.' Largely as a result of better identification methods, Kern County saw its homeless student population jump 10% last year, to 7,200. Those students received transportation to and from school, free school supplies, tutoring and other services intended to help them stay in school. For the purposes of this data, the definition of homelessness is broader than the state's point in time count. The trend is reflected statewide. In the latest state enrollment data released last month, California had 230,443 homeless students — a 9.3% increase from the previous year. Some of the increase is due to the state's ongoing housing shortage, but most of the increase is because of better identification, advocates and school officials said. Homeless students face numerous obstacles in school. They have higher rates of discipline and absenteeism, and fare worse academically. Last year, only 16% of homeless students met the state's math standard, some of the lowest scores of any student group. 'Schools can't solve homelessness, but they can ensure the students are safe in the classroom and getting the education they need to get out of homelessness,' said Barbara Duffield, executive director of Schoolhouse Connection, a national homeless youth advocacy group. 'That starts with identifying the child who's homeless.' Challenges of counting homeless students Under the federal McKinney-Vento Act, schools are required to count their homeless students throughout the school year and ensure they receive services. Homeless students also have the right to stay enrolled in their original school even if they move. For many years, schools struggled to identify homeless students. Under state law, schools must distribute forms at the beginning of the school year asking families where they live — in their own homes, in motels, doubled-up with other families, in shelters, cars or outdoors. Some schools were less-than-diligent about collecting the form, or reassuring families understood the importance. Often, homeless families were reluctant to submit the form because they were afraid the school might contact a child welfare agency. Immigrant families sometimes feared the school might notify immigration authorities. And some families didn't realize that sharing quarters with another family — by far the most common living situation among homeless families – is technically defined as homeless, at least under McKinney-Vento. A 2021 bill by former Assemblymember Luz Rivas, a Democrat from Arleta in the San Fernando Valley, sought to fix that problem. The bill requires schools to train everyone who works with students — from bus drivers to cafeteria workers to teachers — on how to recognize potential signs of homelessness. That could include families who move frequently or don't reply to school correspondence. The bill seems to have helped. Last year, the state identified 21,000 more homeless students than it had the previous year, even as overall enrollment dropped. Still, that's probably an undercount, researchers said. The actual homeless student population is probably between 5% and10% of those students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, according to the National Center for Homeless Education. In California, that would be a shortfall of up to 138,713 students. Influx of funding Another boost for identifying homeless students came from the American Rescue Plan, the federal COVID-19 relief package. The plan included $800 million for schools to hire counselors or train existing staff to help homeless students. Nearly all schools in California received some money. About 120 districts in California won grant money through the McKinney-Vento Act, which last year dispersed about $15.9 million in California to pay for things like rides to school, backpacks, staff and other services. Districts are chosen on a competitive basis; not all districts that apply receive funds. But those funding sources are drying up. Most of the pandemic relief money has already been spent, and President Donald Trump's recently approved budget does not include McKinney-Vento funding for 2026-27. The cuts come at a time when advocates expect steep increases in the number of homeless families over the next few years, due in part to national policy changes. Republican budget proposals include cuts to Medicaid, food assistance and other programs aimed at helping low-income families, while the immigration crackdown has left thousands of families afraid to seek assistance. For families living on tight budgets, those cuts could lead to a loss of housing. And in California, the shortage of affordable housing continues to be a hurdle for low-income families. Even Kern County, which has traditionally been a less pricey option for families, has seen a spike in housing costs as more residents move there from Los Angeles. Joseph Bishop, an education professor at UCLA and co-author of a recent report on homeless students nationwide, said the loss of government funding will be devastating for homeless students. 'California is the epicenter of the homeless student crisis, and we need targeted, dedicated support,' Bishop said. 'Folks should be extremely alarmed right now. Will these kids be getting the education they need and deserve?' Better food, cleaner bathrooms In Kern County, identification has only been one part of the effort to help homeless students thrive in school. Schools also try to pair them with tutors and mentors, give them school supplies and laundry tokens, and invite them to join a program called Student Voice Ambassadors. There, students can tour local colleges, learn leadership skills and explore career options. As part of the program, staff ask students what would make school more enticing — and then make sure the suggestions happen. At one school, students said they'd go to class if the bathrooms were cleaner. So staff improved the bathrooms. At another school, students wanted better food. They got it. Williams credits the program with reducing absenteeism among homeless students. Two years ago, 45% of Kern County's homeless students were chronically absent. Last year, the number dropped to 39% – still too high, he said, but a significant improvement. 'Without McKinney-Vento funds, the Student Voice Ambassador program would go away,' Williams said. 'How will we keep it going? I don't know.' ___ This story was originally published by CalMatters and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
SchoolHouse Connection and University of Michigan's Poverty Solutions Launch Comprehensive Data Profiles on Child and Youth Homelessness
These profiles organize and analyze federal data over a four-year period. WASHINGTON, DC / / January 29, 2025 / SchoolHouse Connection, in partnership with the University of Michigan's Poverty Solutions initiative, today announced the launch of new, updated interactive data profiles examining child and youth homelessness across the United States. These profiles organize and analyze federal data over a four-year period. "Child and youth homelessness is largely invisible in our communities and in our schools," said Barbara Duffield, Executive Director of SchoolHouse Connection. "These data profiles help shine a light on these students, the harmful impact of homelessness on their school attendance and achievement, and where progress can be made." The interactive dashboard allows users to explore homelessness trends across multiple geographic areas - from national and state levels to local communities, U.S. Congressional districts, and state legislative districts. New features help school districts assess whether they may be under-identifying students experiencing homelessness and highlight districts that are categorized as "severely underfunded" - those that have identified students experiencing homelessness but do not receive McKinney-Vento subgrants to serve them. Users can also compare educational outcomes between homeless students and their housed peers through critical indicators such as chronic absenteeism and graduation rates. "The data profiles make information on children experiencing homelessness easily accessible to decision makers at local, state, and national levels," said Jennifer Erb-Downward, Director of Housing Stability Programs and Policy Initiatives at Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan. "This is the kind of information that is needed if we are going to come together to truly prevent and solve homelessness." Join Us for a Deep Dive into the Data SchoolHouse Connection and Poverty Solutions will host a webinar today, January 29, at 12PM Eastern to demonstrate the features of the new data profiles and discuss key findings. Participants will learn how to: Navigate the interactive dashboard Interpret trends and patterns in the data Use this information to inform local and state policy To register for the webinar, click here. The recording will be available here within 1-2 business days. The data profiles are now available at About SchoolHouse Connection SchoolHouse Connection is a national non-profit organization working to overcome homelessness through education. We provide strategic advocacy and practical assistance in partnership with early childhood programs, schools, institutions of higher education, service providers, families, and youth. About University of Michigan's Poverty Solutions Poverty Solutions is a university-wide presidential initiative on a mission to partner with communities and policymakers to find new ways to prevent and alleviate poverty through action-based research. SchoolHouse Connection is a national non-profit organization working to overcome homelessness through education. We provide strategic advocacy and practical assistance in partnership with schools, early childhood programs, institutions of higher education, service providers, families, and youth. Our vision is that children and youth experiencing homelessness have full access to quality learning, birth through higher education, so they will never be homeless as adults, and the next generation will never be homeless. To learn more, please visit Contact Details Barbara Duffield, (202) 549-7668+1 202-549-7668barbara@ Company Website SOURCE: SchoolHouse Connection View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Sign in to access your portfolio
