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Introduction
Every child, homeless or not, has the right to a public school education that is equal to the standards of achievement that are available for all youths and children. As stated by the federal government, the fact that a child is homeless is not sufficient reason to keep them out of school. The definition of homeless youth is an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence (Boden, 2012). The current economic recession is a leading factor in the increase of homelessness among youths. In the past two years, there has been a 38% increase in the number of homeless youths (Boden, 2012). It is projected the recession will cause 2 million children to be homeless in the next two years (NAEHCY, 2012). Some parts of the United States have greater risks than others. In a state report card ranking of states with the greatest risk of homelessness (Bassuk et al, 2010), Missouri ranked amongst the bottom five percent of the 52 states, while Illinois was in the middle. The two states are responsible for 86,000 of the nation’s homeless (Bassuk et al, 2010). Missouri and Illinois must tap into current resources from the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to assist in providing education to homeless children. The Act documents legislation that requires schools to designate a liaison to identify homeless children. It provides funds for schools to provide education and transportation for the homeless (NAHECY, 2012). However, the program was not equipped for the economic crisis (Boden, 2012). The federal government has provided one-time additional funding for assistance in the monetary shortage of the funds. Because the United States is still in a recession, additional funding is necessary to honor the federal guidelines for educating homeless children. The current economic recession has caused an increased amount of homeless children in Missouri and Illinois leaving schools with the burden of educating the youths that suffer from additional health, emotional, and financial problems associated with homelessness without the appropriate funds or resources. If the federal government does not redefine existing legislation and distribute additional assistance, then every child’s right to an equal education is at risk.
Homelessness: A Real National Issue
Who is Homeless?
A homeless child is one who does not have adequate sleeping arrangements. This definition includes children who are accompanied by a parent who is sharing housing with others, living in motels, emergency shelters, cars, or other public places (NAEHCY, 2010). One of the main reasons for the increase among accompanied homeless youths is the financial challenges facing parents and guardians. Since 2006, the American economy has suffered the collapse of financial institutions. The effects caused home foreclosures to increase for the past three years. Between 2005 and 2010, the foreclosure rate increased by 176% for Missouri and 94 % for Illinois increased to 194 % (State Report, 2010, p.33). Besides the collapsing housing market, unemployment continued to increase, thereby adversely affecting and lowering incomes among families.
The Economic Downturn of 2009-2010
The economic downturn forced families to abandon their homes. A. Z. Humbolt of the Unified School District stated his frustrations with the school year of 2008. “So many of our families are just not making it financially and are desperate for help” (NAEHCY, 2010, p. 2). The recession was cited as the number one reason for the increased enrollment of homeless students in 2007 and 2008. Projections indicate that the crisis is not yet over. It is projected that the recession will cause 2 million children to become homeless in the next two years (NAEHCY, 2012). These homeless families are forced to educate their children in school districts where they no longer reside (NAEHCY, 2010, p. 2).
The homeless youths suffer additional handicaps in attending schools. The McKinney- Vento Homeless Assistance Act states that homeless youths have the right to be educated within the school district where they last maintained permanent residency (Miller, 2012, p.310). However, the family’s financial circumstances do not allow for the affordability of school fees or transportation costs. Many find themselves unable to provide paperwork requirements for enrollment. In 2002, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act was reinstated with the No Child Left behind Act (Miller, P., 2012, p. 209). The Act provided programs and funds meant to alleviate financial concerns associated with homeless youths’ education. Also addressed in the McKinney-Vento Act was legislation that would provide homeless students with stability and academic support. The original funds appropriated were not enough to service the steady increase in homeless children since 2007 (NAEHCY, 2010, p. 2).
The recession caused more damage to Missouri and Illinois because a large population of people was supporting their families on incomes beneath the poverty line. The low-income families had limited supplies and access to funds to assist with the loss of income from employment. Low-income families suffer a greater risk of health problems, accidents, and other traumatic experiences. The search for affordable housing became more difficult due to the reduction of low-income housing options over the past few years (Miller, 2010, p.310). These factors further heightened the mobility of families, thus making educating their children an additional burden.
Table 1
It was not only low-income families that were affected by the recession. Another contributing factor was employment. While all states suffered some increase in unemployment rates, Missouri experienced an increase of 3.8 % (Table 1) while Illinois reported a 3.2 percent (Table 2) from the Beginning of 2006 until the December of 2011. Middle-income families were surprised by a loss of employment. The inability to find employment was heightened by the number of people that were already unemployed. Middle-income families were in the same situation as low-income families. They too had failed to set aside enough funds, which left them homeless. Brandie Roark, an administrative assistant for Illinois district 113 found herself in this sudden state.
Table 2
After working for the same company for 8 years, she was let go on a workforce reduction from her employer. Ms. Roark sought employment for a year and moved in with a boyfriend to avoid homelessness. After one year she was evicted while carrying her first child. Brandie stated in her interview, “It can happen to anyone. I was careless with money and made a few bad decisions. A person’s income does not matter. People need to understand this does not just happen to the poor. They are one poor decision away from homelessness” (Roark, 2012). The confidence that Ms. Roark had felt in her employment and future had disappeared instantly, leaving her with the anxiety of finding a home without any source of income. Millions of Americans have found themselves in Ms. Roark’s position with the added stress of trying to keep their children’s education intact.
The embarrassment and stigma associated with homelessness make families reluctant to alert schools to their mobility. Parents are under the false impression that school districts no longer need to provide an education for their children if they are living in alternate situations. A homeless student “has the option of continuing to attend their school of origin with transportation provided by school district upon request (Bowman, 2010). The legislation put into place has to be better publicized, so it can reach the many new homeless families of all different income brackets (Bowman, 2010.). A parent, whether homeless or not, should not have to struggle to understand how to fund or provide their child with a public school education.
Statutory Remedies
The laws provide assistance through the McKinney-Vento Assistance Act. However, many families were unaware of the laws that are in place to assist the child. Children sit in classrooms silent out of fear that they will be separated by and from their parents (NAEHCY, 2010, p.2). While the federal government’s intention was to look out for homeless children, its efforts were muddied by paperwork and policies that administrators and parents could not comprehend. As a result, the homeless child’s chances at education remain at risk.
The silent homeless child is in jeopardy of experiencing a number of school-related problems associated with not only poverty but homelessness as well. Studies indicate that the homeless student’s academic performance is beneath that of a student who has a home. “Results from these studies showed that homeless children experience high rates of grade retention and absenteeism, significant behavior problems, and significantly lower scores on a standardized test of reading and math when compared to all students” (Bowman, 2010, p.11). In the case of homelessness, a child’s wellbeing is at stake, yet Missouri and Illinois rank in the lowest 10% of the states for protecting the wellbeing of a homeless child (Bassuk et al, 2010, p. 33). The student’s ill performance translates to increased dropout rates.
A State report card for Illinois and Missouri schools documented only one in four homeless children graduate from high school. Further statistics indicate that each high school dropout earns $200,000 fewer earnings over their lifetime (Bassuk et al, 2010, p.4). The already struggling economy could use the additional revenue associated with these future earners. These children are ignored even with awareness of the effects of parental mobility on a homeless child’s education. In all cases mobility is a new reality; however, the ability to continue to provide an education to the child can be accomplished with further assistance from school administrators and government funding.
School administrators have been able to assist with some of the resources provided; however, according to the NAEHCY it was still not sufficient to make up for the growing demand (NAEHCY, 2010, p.2). By 2008 the McKinney- Vento fund was depleted. Congress stepped in and provided an additional $70 million in funding. The stimulus funding was a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Even with the additional funding, less than one in five school districts received funds (NAEHCY, 2010, p.2). As the recession continues the schools face greater challenges in supplying each child with an equal education.
Counter Argument
The increase of homeless children in the past several years has been largely attributed to the recession. However, an argument can be made that the increase is the result of a change in legislation by the federal government. In 2002 when congress reenacted the McKinney-Vento Assistance Act, the definition of a homeless child was changed as well. The original definition was from the United States Department of Urban Housing and Development (HUD). The new definition passed by congress now included children who were living in a double occupancy environment. Tom Morgan explained, “…interestingly, because of the new McKinney Vento Act, we count children who are in a temporary housing situation differently now but do not include their parents- who are in the same situation” (Morgan, 2012). These newly defined homeless youths as of 2011 make up 72% of homeless children (Bowman, 2012, 7). Therefore, a conclusion can be made that the large increases are a result of a redefinition in homeless youths versus the economic recession.
Further analysis of the data of the years that followed the redefinition does not corroborate this argument. If the increases were only because of a redefinition that occurred in the year 2002, then they would not have continued to increase every year following. The largest increases in homeless children are in direct correlation with the recession years of 2006 until the present (Bowman, 2012, p.6). The statistics of rising unemployment, and home foreclosures, are too great to ignore. The consequences of the economic crisis were the loss of home by several families. It also should be noted the purpose of the redefinition. It was the federal government’s intention to include children of double occupancy because the youths needed assistance in continuing their education. The federal government changed the definition as recognition of the educational barriers and challenges faced by children and youth experiencing homelessness. The government acknowledged that the sharing of a home did not change the amount of transportation, financial, and emotional burdens that homeless children face. Ignoring a fraction of the homeless children would be concluding that one child’s circumstances are more meaningful than the other, thus contradicting the countries desire to educate every child equally.
The inclusion of this population of homeless children and the recession increased the application by schools for funding. The monumental scope of the problem has brought several new legislative proposals to the government. Congress, currently in recess, has proposed bills H.R. 1253 and S. 571 that amends the McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth program, as well as Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The legislation was brought in response to the lapsing of the AARP funds. These bills provide for the continuation of extra funding of the McKinney Act (Facts About, 2012). However, while a need for new funds is necessary, the funds do not address the source of the problem. Tom Morgan states, “The leading source of homelessness in the US is a lack of affordable housing” (Morgan, 2012).
If the parent of an accompanied homeless child is given easier opportunities for getting a home, then the homeless child will no longer need the resources to assist in their education. The funds could be directly allocated to HUD and assist with a permanent solution to the problem. The recession has further exasperated the gap between supply and demand for affordable housing. ” The dual problem of declining housing stock and increasing rents for existing housing has been exacerbated by a failure of housing assistance programs to keep pace with the need” (Bassuk et al, 2010p.10). The additional funds needed to assist a homeless child with education would be unnecessary if the child was no longer homeless. In order to give an equal education to homeless children, the child needs to be in the same situation as children who have homes.
While there is a need for additional funds to be placed in affordable housing, that problem is a separate issue to educating homeless children. The funds need to continue to be separate. The recession has further exasperated the gap between supply and demand for affordable housing. A homeless youth versus a homeless adult experiences a separate amount of problems. By allocating specific funds to education versus affordable housing, the federal government is investing specifically in problems associated with homeless children’s obstacles to learning.
There is a safeguard of funds associated with the McKinney- Vento Act. In 2002 the legislation was changed to require school districts to appoint a liaison that would ensure that the funds and laws for educating homeless children were implemented correctly (Bowman, 2012, p.8). A family’s inability to provide a home for the child can be due to an array of reasons, including financial, emotional, and even for the safety of the children. It would be impossible and prejudicial for funds to be allocated based on the degree of homelessness; therefore, keeping the funds separate so the assistance in education continues for the length of the problem is the most efficient way to appropriate funds to help the child. Furthermore, the circumstances which left the child homeless are often not within the child’s control, yet he or she is the one whose future is at a greater risk. A child should not have to struggle to sustain their public education. Yet legislators, community residents, school officials, are aware of the struggles as it relates to statistics and finances that affect their community. These children are not merely statistics that are showing up in shelters, tent cities, hotels, and streets.
Jayden is an 8-year-old child suffering from severe asthma and depression, as a result of his homelessness. Jayden’s story began 2 years ago when he and his mother Suzanna moved out of his apartment suddenly. Since Jayden was an infant, he and his mother withstood the physical abuse of Jayden’s father. Suzanna and her four children left for a domestic violence shelter out of fear that Jayden and her safety were in jeopardy. The four lived in various one-room shelters until they left for another state. Jayden’s dismissal living conditions triggered severe asthma attacks, which placed him in the emergency room on several occasions. After two years of homelessness, this is the emotional state that he lives in.
“Jayden feels excluded from the community in which he grew up. Emotionally isolated, he has had difficulty connecting with his peers at school. While Jayden is aware that the search for safety spurred his family’s move, he still longs for the life that he has lost. He blames himself for their presence in the shelter and apologized to his mother for being unable to prevent his father’s violence. Nightmares plague his sleep along with the pervasive fear that his father will return. His ailments interfere with school attendance and homework” (Bassuk et al, 2010, p.4).
Jayden is not just a statistic he and several children like him are the future of America. Jayden’s education is equally important to any other child. His education is dependent upon legislators to provide the resources that he can continue. It is four times more likely for children to fail to complete high school. Many homeless children who are old enough to work feel the need to contribute to the financial burden; therefore, educators struggle to keep children enrolled for the sake of their future. As stated there is a revenue loss the nation for the dropouts, but what about the emotional strain that an uneducated life will bring. Janice Ronan described a 15-year struggle of homelessness in an interview. It started 15 years ago when a decision to not abort her pregnancy left her without a home in Illinois. She dropped out of school in an attempt to support her unborn child.
Janice moved to multiple states living on the streets, with friends, and even in cars. She married the father of her child in California but quickly exited an abusive relationship. Without a diploma, she was unable to find work and gave custody of her child to the father. Her intention was to get her back. Janice moved back to Illinois and her mother assisted her to get a job and become more self-reliant. Janice regained custody and began raising her child when she was 11 years old. Four years ago the recession hit Janice hard. She lost her job, daughter, and home. In the interview, Janice tearfully recalls being in and out of homelessness. When Janice was asked to describe the most difficult moments she responded, “Trying to keep the relationship with Al going while living in a truck and jobless was hard. We would take it out on each other. I can remember one night when he came close to killing me. I stayed with him anyway. We stayed together because of love but found it very hard” (Ronan, J. 2012). Today Janice works a steady job and has an apartment. The strain on her relationship with her daughter has left her estranged. Janice’s daughter is now fifteen, homeless, and has dropped out of school. Her years without two stable parents have been equally painful. Janice was unaware of the assistance that the government had to help her daughter maintain an education. Below is Janice’s response to questions about how her life might have been different with a diploma.
Question: Had you gotten a diploma, how do you think life would be different?
Answer: I am positive things would have been a lot different. First I would have a better job. I think I’d make better decisions and have a clearer outlook on life. I regret not getting it greatly. (Ronan, J., 2012)
Janice and her child are neither a statistic nor the only devastating story of homelessness. There is a new face to homelessness that is sweeping the nation. Janice is correct that according to studies it is likely that the diploma would result in a better job. The uneducated are now competing for jobs with college-educated students. The solution is both in continuing to fund efforts to provide an education to homeless children. Also to raise awareness in parents and educators of the services that are provided.
The approval for new funding must wait until after the congress reconvenes in the New Year. As a nation, we need to get behind the efforts to assist with educating the homeless. First, implore Congress to fully fund the McKinney- Vento Homeless Assistance Act with the $210 million which is proposed. This will ensure that America can provide for homeless children education without bias to circumstances. Secondly, with only one out of five districts currently receiving government funds, local and state governments need to provide a training program for school districts on how to receive funding. Lastly, efforts need to be turned inside the schools to educators. Provide tools for them to be able to locate and support students of homelessness. Educate the person about the trauma of homelessness. Then develop policies and programs that will alleviate some of the obstacles and enhance a child’s ability to learn (State report, 2010, p.13). These policies and funding will help bring America back to a country that provides equal education for all children.
Conclusion
The No Child Left behind Act was put into place to ensure that every child was given an equal education. It is not meant to apply only to children who have a home. Ignoring the fact that homeless children are not receiving the same opportunities as other students is a violation of the laws and morally unsettling. The economic recession is a consequence that millions of Americans have lived with for the past 6 years. It has left Jayden’s family and a growing amount of children without a home. All indications provide that the recession will continue leaving more children struggling with obstacles of receiving an education while lacking adequate nighttime residency. As Janice Ronan experienced, life without a home is extremely difficult. A diploma can lessen that burden and give future earnings to a country that’s economy can use it. Currently, there is legislation that can assist the country to uphold the obligation of educating all children. Unfortunately, the fault and outdated legislation need to be updated to reach the growing needs of children. Educators and administrators need to be able to access funds with ease, otherwise, the funds will continue to reach only a few schools that can understand the procedures. Education for homeless children should not have to be sought out by the parent. Jayden’s mother has pressures that do not need to include how to enroll her children in school, pay the school fees, or transport her children from the various shelters they live in. This is not a problem that can be ignored. The consequences to the country for turning their back on educating homeless children can further devastate an already crippled country.
References
Bassuk, L. E et al (2010). State Report Card on Child Homelessness: Americas Youngest Outcasts. (2010). The National Center on Family Homelessness, p38, 50. Web.
Boden, P. (2012). McKinney-Vento turns 25; homelessness still grows. For Those Who Can’t Afford Free Speech. Web.
Bowman, D., Dukes, C., & Moore, Jan. (2012). Summary of the state research on the relationship between homelessness and academic achievement. National Center for Homeless Education. Web.
Facts About Homeless Education. (2012). National Association for Education of Homeless Childeren and Youths. Web.
McKibben, S. (2009). Foreclosed: Two Million Homeless Students and Counting. Education Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review, v74 n9 p9-11. 3 pp. Web.
Miller, P. (2011). A Critical Analysis of the Research on Student Homelessness. Review of Educational Research., Vol. 81 Issue 3, p308-337, 30p. Web.
Morgan, T. (2012) Homelessness: It Isn’t What You Think. Charlotte Review. Web.
NAEHCY (2010). A Critical Moment: Child and Youth Homelessness in Our Nation’s Schools. (2010). National Association for Education of Homeless Children and Youths. Web.
Roark, B. (2012). One Bad Decision [Personal interview].
Ronan, J. (2012). Repeating Homelessness [Personal interview].
Swanson, C. (2010). Graduation by the numbers. Education Week. Web.
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