SchoolHouse Connection has released an updated fact sheet on the PreK-12 education of children and youth experiencing homelessness. This resource provides vital insights and data to help understand and address the educational challenges faced by homeless students.
What's Included:
Data Analysis: The fact sheet offers a succinct analysis of the latest federal PreK-12 data on student homelessness, including comparisons to other student groups.
Barriers to Education: It explains the barriers to education caused by homelessness and highlights the importance of school for homeless students.
McKinney-Vento Act: A brief summary of the McKinney-Vento Act's Education for Homeless Children program is provided, emphasizing its role as an essential federal protection to ensure basic access to education.
Why It Matters:
Communicating facts about student homelessness and the role of the McKinney-Vento Act is crucial for raising awareness among the public and policymakers. Without the protections and services provided by the McKinney-Vento Act, homeless students face significant challenges:
School Attendance: They struggle to attend school and benefit from federal, state, or local education funding or programming.
Safety and Development: They are at greater risk of hunger and harm to their safety and development.
Future Homelessness: They are more likely to experience homelessness as adults.
How You Can Use It:
SchoolHouse Connection has made an editable version of the fact sheet available, allowing you to include local or state data. Additionally, their newly launched data profiles tool can help you find data for your state, county, school district, and legislative district.
Feel free to share these fact sheets with your networks, colleagues, school boards, funders, and local, state, and national policymakers to help support and advocate for homeless students.