school aged and homeless
TRANSCRIPT
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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*
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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 -
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Top Reasons Reported
Unemployment
Inability to pay rent, mortgage or utility bills
Family problems Personal illness
Bad credit history
Substance abuse Turn of economy
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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
http://www.isbe.state.il.us/homeless/pdf/policy.pdfhttp://www.isbe.state.il.us/homeless/pdf/policy.pdf -
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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.
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Back to Basics
Food
Shelter
Safety
***If these
needs
arent met,
how arechildren
supposed
to learn?
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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 -
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'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 -
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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)
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected] -
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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!)
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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
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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] -
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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