Poverty presents many challenges, but perhaps none is more threatening to a child than attempting to live and go to school without a place to call home. According to data from the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Census, 2.5 million children were homeless in 2013 – one in every 30 children in the country. In New Jersey, the National Center on Family Homelessness counted nearly 17,000 homeless children during the 2012-13 school year, a 78% increase from the previous year. While shocking, the report’s numbers rank New Jersey as second in the nation, ahead of 48 other states.
American children had rarely been homeless in significant numbers, other than during the Great Depression. Things changed in the mid-1980s as child homelessness began to garner attention as a major social problem. While progress has been made to reduce homelessness among single adults and military veterans, the number of homeless children has been growing steadily by roughly 8% a year and is now at its highest level ever.
Students without a home face steep educational challenges: the absence of basic necessities such as food and clothing; poor healthcare and medical services; a lack of quality mental health services; interruption of education due to mobility; and trauma. Disabled World, an online resource, reports that nearly 20% of these children do not attend school, and suffer higher rates of acute illness, causing them to miss school.
Evidence suggests that homeless children experience a disproportionately high rate of disabilities. When compared to children who are not homeless, twice as many students with learning disabilities and three times the number of students with behavioral and emotional problems are homeless.
The first challenge is identification. The effects of homelessness can mirror challenges faced by students with learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, autism, emotional disturbances, behavioral disabilities, and speech or language impairments.
Once identified, homeless students with disabilities still face added barriers. They may not be diagnosed in a timely manner due to mobility and other stressors; they struggle with a lack of continuity of services due to school transfers and may lack timely or efficient records transfer when enrolling in a new school. Some may face language barriers. And often, these children lack an available parent or surrogate to advocate on their behalf.
According to a 2014 report issued by the National Center on Family Homelessness, 24% to 40% of homeless school-aged children were found to have mental health problems requiring clinical evaluation – two to four times the rate of other low-income children. Children who are homeless are found to need special education services at two or three times the usual rate.
Like homelessness, poverty is also tied to higher rates of disability. Nationwide, roughly 15 million children live in poverty. In New Jersey, that number is 308,000, or 16% of all children. But even children in families above the federal poverty threshold suffer adverse affects of poverty. In 2014, 31% of New Jersey’s children- more than one in three – were living in households considered low income, a family of four living on less than $48,000.
These data have important implications for special education. Students with the highest needs are often living in the poorest communities, many of which lack robust school-based services. A report issued by the U.S. Department of Education found that low-quality schools are disproportionately located in low-income areas, where quality special education services and supports may not be readily available.
With all the pressures facing schools in low-income communities, educators need to reach out for resources and assistance from agencies and community-based services.
The McKinney-Vento Act, a federal law which focuses on homeless children, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) lay out procedures that schools must follow to ensure that homeless children and those with disabilities are provided an appropriate education that meets their individual needs. The Child Find provisions of the McKinney-Vento Act require states to ensure that homeless children with disabilities are identified, located, and evaluated.
Each school district in New Jersey is required to have a homeless education liaison to track and advocate for students experiencing homelessness. That can be complicated because children and youth experiencing homelessness move a lot, and may try to keep their circumstances secret. The liaison is responsible for assisting homeless students and their parents or guardians with enrolling in school and accessing school services; obtaining immunizations or medical records; informing parents, school personnel, and others of the rights of homeless students; working with school staff to make sure that homeless students are immediately enrolled in school pending resolution of disputes that might arise over school enrollment or placement; and helping to coordinate transportation services for homeless students. Translation services, if necessary, must be provided.
Education staff focused on children with disabilities need to work closely with homeless education liaisons in order to get to know newcomers and identify students in need of special education services. Often, the homeless liaisons can be included in IEP meetings for special education students. And because low-income families move twice as often as other families, school officials need to cultivate positive working relationships with other districts in order to exchange information.
On enrolling a new student who is homeless, school staff might get a better handle on whether that child has an IEP, 504 plan or needs special education services with questions such as:
- “Did your child receive special instruction in the other school?”
- “Was your child in a class with just a few other students?”
Responses should indicate whether it might be appropriate to involve the school’s homeless liaison or special education coordinator.
Working with children in families who are homeless or live in poverty is one of many educators’ toughest challenges. The needs are great as schools work harder to collaborate with many stakeholders. By looking closely and getting to know individual needs early, dedicated professionals can help change the fates of some of New Jersey’s most vulnerable children.
Resources
Excessive Stress Disrupts the Architecture of the Developing Brain. This working paper from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child defines the concept of “toxic stress”—what happens when children experience severe, prolonged adversity without adult support.
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/reports_and_working_papers/working_papers/wp3/
From The National Center for Homeless Education (NHCE)
Homeless Liaison Toolkit: the essentials that local liaisons must know in order to carry out their responsibilities. Seventeen chapters on topics essential to implementing the McKinney-Vento Act.
http://center.serve.org/nche/pr/liaison_toolkit.php
School Help for Homeless Children with Disabilities: Information for Parents
http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/idea_parents.pdf
Best Practices in Homeless Education Brief Series
Navigating the Intersections of the McKinney-Vento Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Coordination to Help Homeless Children and Youth with Disabilities
http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/nav_idea_mv.pdf
Determining Eligibility for Rights and Services Under the McKinney-Vento Act
http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/det_elig.pdf
Prompt and Proper Placement: Enrolling Students without Records
http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/assessment.pdf
McKinney-Vento Law into Practice Brief Series
Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness: An Introduction to the Issues
http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/introduction.pdf
Identifying Children and Youth in Homeless Situations
http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/identification.pdf
Supporting Homeless Children and Youth with Disabilities: Legislative Provisions in the McKinney-Vento Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/idea.pdf
From The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
Connecting Homeless Students to Special Education Services: A Guide to Rights and Resources
http://www.azed.gov/wp-content/uploads/PDF/ConnectingHomelessStudentstoSPEDServices.pdf
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