Field Placement: MOMS Project, Tanzania
Location: Muheza, Tanzania
Preceptor: Patrick Duffy
Student Name: Rachel Naylor
Year: 2003

Re-authorization of the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth

This year approximately one million children will experience homelessness (2001,Thomas,H.R.1). Children make up more than 30% of the total homeless population (National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) 2001, April). Most of these young people will be old enough to go to school, or to preschool, but unlike other children their age, they will face enormous barriers just trying to get there. Homeless children and youth miss a lot of school for a variety of reasons (2000, July, NCH). They move a lot, often from one friends’ house to another, living in shelters, or sometimes even in cars. They have difficulty accessing transportation, lack uniforms, and school supplies (2000, July, NCH). They often do not have enough to eat, have poor personal hygiene, and do not get enough sleep (2001, April). When they attempt to go to school of, many of them have poor results: homeless children have more behavioral and emotional problems than other kids their age (2001, April NCH). Because they miss so much, homeless kids are twice as likely to repeat a grade as non-homeless children (2001, April NCH).

But beyond these issues, homeless children also face barriers to education when they show up to school. Residency requirements, lack of school records and immunizations all serve as barriers to education for these families, (2000, February, National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, (NLCHP)). A school’s lack of awareness of homelessness or a lack of understanding can contribute to feelings of inferiority and rejection. Some children encounter another problem. While waiting to be admitted to a public school they are put in a separate school, often without certified teachers, current textbooks, extracurricular activities and opportunities to socialize with their friends- segregated from non-homeless children, and denied access to a superior mainstream education (2000,NLCHP; 2001, March, Rep. Biggert; 200 NCH). This is illegal. All children have a right to an equal and free education, and should not be segregated simply because of their homelessness (2000, NLCHP; 2001 November, NCH; 2001, Thomas H.R. 1). Education for homeless children and youth is critical. School offers them one of the few opportunities of normalcy and stability (2000, NLCHP; 2001 November, NCH; 2001,Thomas H.R. 1; 2001, March, Rep. Biggert). Keeping them in their school of origin, or stabilizing them in another school, providing them with services, like transportation, health care and school lunches, and offering them the same educational opportunities- to play an instrument, to participate in a gifted program, get special ed services, get an A on a test…to just be there day in and out like other kids…these things can make a world of difference to a child’s future (2000, Statement, Rep. Biggert; 2000 July NCH; 2000,Sandham; 2001 (H.R. 623),Thomas). For homeless children, a competitive integrated education provides them with the best opportunity to be successful in life, and escape poverty (2001, Thomas). The following legislative summary describes the McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Improvement Act 2001 (EHCY). The EHCY, was passed as a subtitle of the original Stewart B McKinney Homeless Act of 1987, the only comprehensive federal legislation addressing homelessness (2000 July, NCH). The EHCY was created in response to an increased awareness of homelessness as a growing family problem, and the recognition that an estimated 50% of homeless children and youth were not attending school regularly (NLCHP). As a result, by 1999, the Department of Education reported that only 12% of homeless children were not attending school regularly (NLCHP). Despite this success, many barriers still remain to education for these children. The current reauthorization and amending of the EHCY year may further address some of the above issues, such as transportation, awareness, enrollment choice, and school segregation (2001 November 14, NCH). At present some very important decisions are being made that will affect the future of homeless children and youth. Please review the legislative analysis for more detail.

STATUS: This past summer, both the house and the senate passed different versions of a bill reauthorizing the EHCY, as part of President Bush’s education reform bill (2001 November 14, NCH (status); 2001Rep. Biggert; 2001,Thomas). The Senate and House are currently in conference committee resolving the differences between the bills and will then send this new bill back to both chambers for voting (2000 November 14,NCH). Of particular importance is the issue of segregation and separate schools. While proposed amendments strengthen the language prohibiting the separation of children from mainstream schools and programs because of homelessness, these bills both contain grandfather clauses that would allow continued funding of already existing segregated schools (2001, Thomas, NLCHP). While these programs may be well-intentioned, they are unable to provide homeless youth with an equal free, public education- separate is not equal. (NLCHP). As advocates and service providers for these children, we are in a unique position to give them a voice in their future.

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