"700,000 US Teens Navigate School Without Family Support or Permanent Housing:" New Article on Homeless Youth Provides Excellent Facts and Data
(Article by Eleanor J. Bader, “Truthout,” January 3, 2022).
A brand new article in “Truthout” tells how homeless children – over 4 million of them – often have to function on their own to make a go of it (https://truthout.org/articles/700000-us-teens-navigate-school-without-family-support-or-permanent-housing/). In that report, Eleanor J. Bader explains, “The National Conference of State Legislatures estimates that 700,000 of the nation’s 4.2 million homeless youth are unaccompanied by a parent or guardian.”
Published yesterday (January 3, 2022) the article provides a huge amount of data that will serve as grist for the mill… talking points for discussions about homeless kids’ needs, factual information for helping convince elected officials to draft and pass new legislation providing funds for services to kids who are unhoused, and news to move to action leaders of churches and agencies designed to help people.
The article is beneficial also because it includes much other important information. For example, the article shows how children who leave home when very young can get swept up into the juvenile justice system. In some areas, homeless children then become more a problem to be solved than persons to be helped.
Homeless children suffer greatly, and the trauma of homelessness impairs cognition greatly. Facts such as this, reported by various experts, are included in the article. Information and resources are available in the article by clicking on the website for SchoolHouse Connection (https://schoolhouseconnection.org/) and learning more. This organization is a national Washington, DC-based agency providing essential information--from how to understand student homelessness to how to help unaccompanied children stay in school and succeed.
As advocates for those in need, we need ammunition and clear explanations of what is wanting out there. Arming oneself constantly with the latest facts and figures is a reasonable and effective way for educators to prepare themselves to lead others.
Another good resource out there right now is the Guide to American Rescue Plan Funding That Impacts People Experiencing Homelessness (https://www.usich.gov/tools-for-action/a-guide-to-american-rescue-plan-funding-that-impacts-people-experiencing-homelessness/). Available from the U.S. Interagency Council on Homeless (USICH), the guide was created by USICH in collaboration with our federal partners, including the departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development.
As educators dealing with the topic of child homelessness, we need to keep our facts straight and maintain a forthright approach to dealing with social justice issues. Now that we as a nation have once again embraced science and reason, teachers among us must lead our society forward by helping those in need – and teaching others how to help those in need.
Articles such as this one by Bader are particularly useful because they 1) assemble crucial information in one place for quick reading; 2) make clear how dramatic the problem is by making use of facts and figures from reputable sources; 3) provide avenues for change through further reading and research; and 4) yields links to other articles that are timely and accessible to non-specialists working in social justice intervention.
This article by Bader reminds us of the needs, trauma, and unaccompanied children who are homeless but sometimes resilient. Bader tells us that “1 in 10 young adults between 18 and 25, and one in 30 aged 13 to 17. More than a quarter (27 percent) identify as queer.” Armed with these kinds of facts and figures, we are able to do a better job helping homeless students and others.