A homeless individual is defined in section 330(h)(5)(A) as "an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member a family), including an individual whose primary residence during there night is a supervised public or privet facility (e.g. shelters) that provides temporary living accommodations, and an individual without permanent housing who may live on the streets; stay in a shelter, mission, single room occupancy facilities, abandoned building or vehicle; or in any unstable or non-permanent situation (section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C 254b)
Statistics of Homelessness in Illinois:
Homeless Population - 10, 643
Homeless Families - 1.223
Homeless Students -50,949
Unaccompanied Homeless Students - 5,166
Most people experiencing homelessness are individual adults.
Families experiencing homelessness are usually headed by a single woman who on average is in her late 20's with two or more children, under the age of six.
Should I give homeless panhandlers money?
Giving money is a quick fix. The best thing you can do is donate or volunteer your time to an organization the helps solve homelessness.
References
Hart-Shegos, E. (n.d.). Homelessness and its Effects on Children (pp. 1-12, Rep.) (A. Ray, Ed.).
HOW YOU CAN HELP. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://streetsteam.org/
Illinois Homelessness Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.usich.gov/homelessness-statistics/il/#XKeJKUDqLI0.email
The National Coalition for the Homeless. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://nationalhomeless.org/
In the state of Illinois there are 50,949 students whom are considered homeless, 5,166 of those students are unaccompanied youth, meaning they are without an adult. With such a large number of homeless school aged children, you are very likely to have children in your school and/or class that are homeless. Having the tools and understanding as to how to effectively teach these students is very important.
Children who do not have stability in home life are more vulnerable to high risk-factors. Homeless children are more susceptible to health problems, with a lack of access to dental and medical care. Poverty amount homeless families contribute to the possibility to a lake of nutrition, students may come to school hungry because they most likely have not eaten yet that day. A quarter of homeless children have witnessed for experienced violence, which can cause more than half to have problems with anxiety and depression. Symptoms of hyperactivity/inattention, as well as behavior problems are more prevalent among homeless youth. While considering Maslow's higher achy of needs in the development of children, those that are homeless are not getting basic needs of food, shelter, clothing and safety met, making it more difficult for the child to a achieve self-realization.
Here are some ways to help students who are homeless in your classroom:
Have a set routine while the student is in school.
Don't bring special attention to the fact that they are homeless in front of others.
Ensure that the homeless student is enrolled in free and reduced price meal program.
Offer tools to complete any required tasks. Supplies may not be readily available for the child.
Keep a supply of nutritional snacks in your classroom.
Assist other students in being sensitive to stereotypes of homeless people.
Schools play a large role in helping to end youth homelessness, it is required by both state and federal law the school districts provide help and support for homeless students and their families. This may include education for ALL students, helping to transport students too and from school, provide access to healthcare as well as removing any barriers to school attendance.
This school principle went above and beyond for his students when he learned of some of the struggles his students were having that prevented them from attending school regularly.
Hart-Shegos, E. (n.d.). Homelessness and its Effects on Children (pp. 1-12, Rep.) (A. Ray, Ed.).
Homeless. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/state.aspx?source=studentcharacteristics&source2=homeless&Stateid=IL
Homeless Children and Youth. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.childtrends.org/indicators/homeless-children-and-youth
Illinois Homelessness Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.usich.gov/homelessness-statistics/il/#XKeJKUDqLI0.email
Strategies for Teaching Highly Mobile Students. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/strategies-for-teaching-highly-mobile-students
The National Coalition for the Homeless. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nationalhomeless.org/
·Define
what being homeless means – someone who does not have a place to live.
·Understand
some people don’t have enough food to eat all the time.
Materials:
·Book
: The Lady in the Box
·Large
Poster paper, and marker.
Activity:
At the door ask each child if they
had breakfast that morning, have them mark yes or no on the graph paper.
Read the book The Lady in the Box by Ann McGovern
After reading the story and going
over the graph question, ask the children questions:
·How
does it feel when you are hungry and you have to wait to eat?
·What
are some way we could help those who are hungry?
Write down the children’s responses to the questions.
Talk about sharing things we no long use, such as toys and
clothes.
Bridge School and Home:
Tell the children about starting a toy or clothing drive in the
class and donating them to a local shelter, or Goodwill. Send note home to
parents to encourage participation.
