• By: Arleen Mayer

• Zaide Casillas

• Javier Vargas

Homelessness

The American Psychological Association 2009 Presidential Task Force on Psychology’s Contribution to End Homelessness

Homelessness: lacking safe, stable, and appropriate places to live, including sheltered and unsheltered people, and those in overcrowded and doubled-up situations.

Introduction

• The United States has the largest number of homeless women and children of any industrialized nation

• 1 in 50 children in the US are homeless.

• On any give day, 200,000 children have no place to live.

• Homeless families comprise 34% of the homeless population.

• Almost 40% of the entire homeless population is under 18.

• 42% of these homeless children are younger than 6

Source: Shine Global

Statistics

http://www.homelesschildrenamerica.org/reportcard.php

• Poverty and the lack of affordable housing are the principal causes of family homelessness

• National Coalition for the Homeless

• Teen parents

• Substance abuse

• Violent parents/stepparents

• Runaway youth

• GLBT

• Female headed households

• American Psychological Association

Causes

• Hunger

• Poor Physical Health• Hygiene issues, infections, health care issues etc.

Poor Mental Health• Depression, anxiety

• Missed Educational Opportunities

• Poor Sleep

• Violence• By age 12, 83% had been exposed to at least one serious violent

event.

• Almost 25% have witnessed acts of violence within their families.

• Shine Global

Source: American Psychological Association

-http://www.apa.org/pi/families/poverty.aspx#

The Effects of Homelessness

Homeless children are sick four times more often than other children. Four times as many respiratory infections.

Twice as many ear infections.

Five times more gastrointestinal problems.

Four times more likely to have asthma.

Go hungry at twice the rate of other children. 57% of homeless kids spend at least one day every month without food.

Have high rates of obesity due to nutritional deficiencies

Have three times the rate of emotional and behavioral problems compared to non-homeless children

Health

• public schools enrolled nearly 1 million homeless children and youth in 2009-2010 – a 38% increase since 2006-2007

• National Association for the Education of Homeless children and Youth

• http://www.naehcy.org/welcome.html

• Homeless children are twice as likely to have a learning disability, repeat a grade, or to be suspended from school

• American Psychological Association

• Attendance issues

Impact on Education

Homeless children and unaccompanied youth must have access to public school educational programs and services that allow them to meet the same challenging state academic standards to which all students are held.

McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act

Designate a homeless liaison in each school district.

Identify and immediately enroll any homeless child or youth (preschool to grade 12), even without academic or medical records.

Continue children or youths in their "school of origin" for the duration of their homelessness.

Inform parents/guardians of the educational rights of their children.

Provide transportation, at the request of the parent, to the school of origin.

Ensure no barriers exist (for example, residency requirements, lack of transportation or school fees) for full educational participation.

Develop partnerships with community agencies to identify and assist with basic services for homeless families, children, and youth.

Ensure homeless students are not segregated or stigmatized.

Program Elements

2.1.G Explain how individual behaviors and one’s family and school influence growth and development.

7.1.G Determine behaviors that promote healthy growth and development.

Lesson

• Reading comprehension lesson regarding Liz Murray and her life story.

• Show the documentary “Homeless to Harvard”

http://www.standupforkids.org

http://www.shineglobal.org/

http://www.naehcy.org/welcome.html

http://www.nationalhomeless.org

Additional Resources Available