. . . how many children are homeless in our area?

The transient nature of homelessness makes these figures difficult to calculate. However, it is estimated by the twice-annually Allegheny County point-in-time studies that on any given day approximately 850 children are receiving homeless services or residing in homeless housing in Allegheny County, their average age being 7.8 years . [See the definition of children and youth homelessness and also the December 27, 2009, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette front-page story on the rise in children's homelessness in the region.]

. . . where these children's parents are?

These children are not unloved. They come to a housing center with a parent or legal guardian, almost always a single mother. Abandoned children and young runaways generally are cared for by a different division of the social service system.

. . . how these families become homeless?

Homelessness has as many different causes as it has victims. Each family's situation is unique. A family may be displaced by fire, domestic violence, substance abuse, illness, or loss of a job. Now the increasing inability to make mortgage payments because of job loss and/or uninformed decisions to draw upon a home's equity, the loss of a home's value, and foreclosures on owners of rental property are contributing to homelessness among families who never anticipated the prospect.

Too often homelessness or the threat of homelessness has simply been insufficient income to cover the basic necessities. The Catholic Campaign for Human Development has posted a very graphic presentation of the challenges faced by families with 2 adults and 2 children whose yearly income is at the poverty level of $21,000. The numbers provided by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in its Consumer Expenditure Survey come from the US Census Bureau, Department of Labor, and Department of Agriculture and are from November 2008, except for the child care data from 2007. See Poverty USA Tour and take the Poverty quiz. To gain a sharper understanding of the causes of homelessness beyond the economics, ponder these questions.

A parent knows it is the children who suffer most in these circumstances. As one public school liaison has said, "The stress on a child in a homeless situation is phenomenal. The stress of not knowing where they are going to be staying, whether or not they will be able to remain together, if their parents will be OK, and if they can stay in their school can really take their toll."

. . . where and how children who are homeless live?

Although there are occasional news stories of whole families living in cars, that is not the norm. The first step for many homeless families may be moving in with relatives, not always a workable or long-term solution. An important alternative is the shelters and transitional living facilities in Allegheny County staffed by trained and compassionate professionals. Regrettably, all such agencies must cope with a shortage of ready funding. As a result, the effort to provide emergency necessities can supersede other needs.

. . . what children lose when they become homeless?

Read these words of author Tiny (aka Lisa Gray-Garcia) from her powerful book Criminal of Poverty: Growing Up Homeless in America: "I never developed deep attachments to any of my belongings; I was just unable to arrange or contain the things I was able to hold on to. Between the serial evictions and constant moves, nary a stuffed animal or childhood picture remained in my possession. Throughout the life of a homeless child, you lose everything; it's like going through a fire or a hurricane every day, and the little things that really matter like baby pictures, school yearbooks, and letters from important people all drift away like water from a shore." [Reprinted with the permission of the publisher of Criminal of Poverty (City Lights Foundation Books). To learn more about the book or to purchase, go to http://www.citylights.com/book/?GCOI=87286100340140&fa=description]

. . . when children who are homeless miss days, even weeks of school?

There are many barriers between children experiencing homelessness and school attendance. The policy of the State Department of Education is that these children must be immediately admitted to a school in the district in which they are residing or the district in which they began the school year. Nevertheless, for a number of reasons this policy is difficult to implement. Sometimes it is a matter of a parent not knowing how to go about re-registering a child or of being too caught up in the multiple crises of sudden homelessness. Sometimes parents cannot afford the necessary sneakers, backpacks, and school supplies that a child wants or is required to have. Transportation can be a problem, as can moving in and out of emergency shelters when 30-day rules apply.

For any of these reasons, therefore, many of these children miss days – sometimes even weeks – of schooling and change schools often. It's been estimated that each move of a homeless family puts the children at risk of falling some six months behind in their studies. Most at risk of never catching up are children in kindergarten through 3rd grade. It is in these grades that they are learning to read. After that, they must be able to read to learn. Clearly, the circumstances of homelessness not only have an immediate effect on children's classroom performance but also have far-reaching consequences for their life-long potential.

As the Executive Director of one of the homeless housing agencies with which HCEF
partners has said: "Unfortunately, our children are more likely to have problems in school. They move so often they cannot adjust to new schools and find themselves unable to catch up to their peers, who have a more stable home life. Without help our children will be the next homeless generation. That knowledge drives us to keep our children's programming in place."

For a fuller understanding of the educational challenges these children and youth face, see Underperforming Schools and the Education of Vulnerable Children, by Lisa Walker and Cheryl Smithgall, a 2009 Chapin Hall study out of the University of Chicago and "How do you assign homework to a kid without a home?" published in the NEA Today Magazine for January 2010.

. . . what HCEF does to serve these children?

The Homeless Children's Education Fund was established as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charity in 1999.  Its mission is to serve as a voice for the homeless children of Allegheny County and to ensure that they are afforded equal access to the same educational opportunities and experiences as their peers. HCEF pursues this mission by leveraging community and governmental resources to serve the needs of children caught up in homelessness, most dramatically through

• Advocacy for the periodic renewal and strengthening of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
• the establishment of Learning Centers and Resource Libraries in the facilities where the children are living
• innovative programming like Building Blocks for Success through which children's reading levels can be assessed with the on line software tool Star Reading and improved with the help of volunteer reading mentors and the acclaimed on-line Accelerated Reader and its AR Book Finder
• generous donations by individuals and community organizations to fund sound educational opportunities for these children, and
• a developing Homeless Education Network advocating for systemic reform at local, state, and national levels

With these and other initiatives, HCEF has had a significant and positive impact on the lives of thousands of Allegheny County children over the years.

. . . how you can help?

Here are a number of specific ways you can contribute your talents and resources in support of HCEF's work.

. . . how awareness of homelessness in Allegheny County is being raised

The Diocese of Pittsburgh Department of Education – through its essay and poster contest held yearly during the November National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week – encourages its middle school children to learn about homelessness through classroom discussion and research and to write an essay or create a poster expressing their new understanding of homelessness among children in Allegheny County.

For the 2009 contest, coordinator Dr. Ron Bowes chose as the theme of the November 2009 challenge: "If I were homeless . . . ." The reward for the first place essay and first place poster is a $250 Tuition Assistance Grant. Fifth through eighth grade student participants in the contest pay a $1 entry fee, and many of the Diocese's schools hold fund raisers in support of HCEF. Outstanding essays and posters are presented on the Essays and Posters page.

"Participate" vicariously in the Poverty Simulation HCEF co-sponsored with Pittsburgh Social Venture Partners (PSVP) in November 2007.

See the story on the November 2009 Summit to Ensure Quality Education of Our Children and Youth Who Are Homeless, co-sponsored by HCEF and The Pittsburgh Foundation.

(8/29/10)

Top of page