Tyon is studious and loves learning. He enjoys receiving report cards and reading outside of school. Inside the classroom, he seems like any other bright and happy kid. However, Tyon does not have a permanent home.
His belongings have been stolen as he moves from shelter to shelter, making it difficult for him to keep up in school. Tyon’s tumultuous home life makes it extremely difficult for him to connect with others at school. Tyon is afraid of his friends and teachers learning that he is homeless and treating him differently because of his situation (DeForge 2001). The weight of the world is on his shoulders.
More concrete systems and support for homeless children are necessary to ensure that they can access a good education. Although some support for homeless children from Child Protective Services (CPS), schools, and parents is available, the lack of communication between these supports leaves homeless children feeling lost in the school system.
Barriers to Success in the Education System
When children lack a stable home, accomplishing simple tasks like enrolling in school and receiving report cards is difficult. Despite how homeless people are often stereotyped as middle-aged white men, homelessness among public school students has increased by 77% since the 2006-07 school year (Baldari 2024).
During the 2021-22 school year, 54% of unhoused students enrolled in New York City public schools were absent from school for 10% of the year, compared to only 39% of housed students (Maria 2023). These numbers grew when 3500 migrant families were evicted in January 2024 and required to reapply for shelter housing. Stability is crucial for child development, and many families had to move their children to different schools because of the longer commutes required (Closson and Cruz 2023). This eviction policy highlights just one of the many ways the federal government does not consider what is best for unhoused children and parents.
Homeless children’s mental health is another barrier to their education. Unhoused children often face cognitive delays due to their unstable environments. These delays can be significant as early as 18 months of age (Donlon 2014). In one study, a staggering 14% of homeless infants and toddlers met the criteria for the need for mental health services in North Carolina (Gerwitz 2009). While support systems attempt to address general educational issues for homeless children, it is difficult to meet every child’s needs when homelessness affects children in such a deep psychological manner.
Homeless children can also experience shame from the label of being homeless. As unhoused children grow, they continue to fall further behind their peers while they are simultaneously given more responsibilities and independence. These older children are less engaged in class because they do not identify with the label of student (Closson and Cruz 2023).
One child, Bill, described having incredibly tight bonds with the children at the homeless shelter, but he did not know how to bond with the children at his school. Another child, Sam, expressed concern that he and his sister would be bullied if other children knew that they were homeless. The intense emotions and responsibilities these children have make it difficult to prioritize education (DeForge 2001).
Collaboration Between Teachers and Parents Is Key
Research suggests that a stable living environment and parent’s engagement in their child’s education are the most prominent influences on a child’s education (Rafferty 1997). However, there is a significant disconnect between many teachers and parents of homeless children.
In one study in which 7 out of 21 homeless children were held back by at least one grade level, parents blamed the schools for their kids’ delays. Parents felt isolated from the school and did not hear their children were struggling until they received report cards. Teachers, in turn, blamed the parents for not taking an active role in their child’s education (Morris and Butt 2003).
Even parents who tried to reach out for help struggled to get sufficient support for their child. One mother asked CPS for a reading tutor for her son in sixth grade. She felt uncomfortable speaking about this struggle with her son’s teacher, who had not been helpful previously. While CPS was more accessible to the mother than the teacher, CPS did not communicate with the teacher, and her child did not receive help. The school blamed the child’s mother for her son’s struggles when the school was not providing sufficient support (Morris and Butt 2003).
Communication to Better Support Homeless Children
Homelessness is an issue that touches so many corners of peoples’ lives, and increased collaboration on this issue is key.
How can professionals prevent more homeless children from slipping through the cracks? A non-profit organization called Community Action Targeting Children who are Homeless (CATCH) combines individual work with students and group meetings with teachers and parents to help meet the mental health needs of homeless children. When a child enters a homeless shelter associated with CATCH, the organization does an initial screening test and matches children with case managers. These case managers teach the children advocacy skills and act as liaisons between teachers, parents, and mental health professionals to meet the child’s unique needs. Although a homeless child may bounce around multiple school systems with several different teachers, their case managers could provide continuity as advocates and sources of constant stability (Donlon 2014).
While it is important to acknowledge the deeper root causes of homelessness, part of the problem lies in peoples’ insufficient understanding. Even professionals do not understand how homelessness can affect children in many unique and complex ways (Morris and Butt). In addition to addressing root causes of homelessness, such as lack of affordable housing and generational violence, structures and policies that target children’s education now will help prevent intergenerational cycles of poverty from continuing (Aratani 2009). By specifically targeting teachers, parents, and children together, more collaborative support systems can help homeless children not grow up to be homeless adults.
References
Aratani, Yumiko. 2009. “Homeless Children and Youth: Causes and Consequences.” National Center for Children in Poverty. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
Baldari, Cara. 2024. “Child And Youth Homelessness Continues To Increase – We Know What Works, Will Congress Act?” First Focus On Children. Retrieved April 29, 2024. https://firstfocus.org/update/child-and-youth-homelessness-continues-to-increase-we-know-what-works-will-congress-act/
Biggar, Heather. 2001. “Homeless Children and Education: An Evaluation of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act.” Children and Youth Services Review 23(12):941-969
Closson, Troy, and Liset Cruz. 2023. “A Record 119,300 New York City Students Were Homeless Last Year.” The New York Times. Retrieved April 2, 2024. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/01/nyregion/homeless-students-nyc.html
DeForge, Velinda, Sandra Zehnder, Ptlene Minick, Myra Carmon. 2001. “Children’s Perceptions of Homelessness.” Pediatric Nursing 27(4):377-383.
Donlon, Peter, Jason Lake, Emma Pope, Christine Shaw, Mary E. Haskett. 2014. “Community Action Targeting Children Who Are Homeless (CATCH): Addressing the Mental Health and Developmental Needs of Children Experiencing Homelessness.” Families in Society 95(3):151-220.
Gerwitz, Abigail H., David S. DeGarmo, Elizabeth J. Plowman, Gerald August, George Realmuto. 2009. “Parenting, Parent Mental Health, and Child Functioning in Families Residing in Supportive Housing.” American Journey of Orthpsychiatry 79(3):336-347.
Maria, Maribel, and Robyn Schwartz. 2023. “Homeless Students and Absenteeism.” Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness. Retrieved April 2, 2024. https://www.icphusa.org/commentary/homeless-students-and-absenteeism/
Morris, Rita I., and Rachael A. Butt. 2003. “Parents’ Perspectives on Homelessness And Its Effects on The Educational Development of Their Children.” The Journal of School Nursing 19(1):43-50.Rafferty, Yvonne. 1997. “Meeting the Educational Needs of Homeless Children.” Educational Leadership 55(4):48-52
