Children, Homelessness, & Education Through no fault of their own, children become the most vulnerable victims of the vicious cycle of homelessness. This has a negative impact on the children’s health and education which often follows them into their adult lives. Children experiencing homelessness lack the stability and support necessary to succeed academically. In addition, they may also face other difficulties:
Higher levels of anxiety and poorer physical health i.e. asthma and pneumonia
Inadequate nutrition and access to food (due in part to school absenteeism)
Twice the rate of learning disabilities
Four times more likely to show a developmental delay than middle-income children
Three times the rate of emotional behavioral disorders than children who are housed
More likely to attend under-resourced, overcrowded schools, without adequate programs for gifted and special needs students
Lagging behind their housed peers in math and reading, attendance, and high school graduation
There are many ways to help homeless students. Here are some suggestions: Raise awareness by educating yourself and others through the U.S. Department of Education, the National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) < nche.ed.gov >. Advocate for policy changes that support homeless students by contacting your local representatives and urging them to support such policies. Volunteer your time to organizations that work with homeless students. Donate to organizations that work to support homeless students. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) can give you more information about ED programs as well as other Federal agencies that serve these young people.
Aging Out of Foster Care When a teenager ages out of foster care, it means they reach the age at which they are no longer eligible for support and services from the foster care system. This can be a difficult period as they often face the following situations:
Housing Challenges: Neglect is the most frequent reason why young people enter the foster care system. As they age out of the system, if their home environment remains turbulent, returning to this same situation falls short of an ideal solution for them. More than half age out of foster care without being reunited or connected to a family. They might end up couch-surfing, staying in shelters, or end up homeless. Of this group, 20% become homeless at age 18.
Education and Employment: Without continued emotional and financial support, further education and employment opportunities may be very limited, especially if they have no high school degree. Only 2% obtain a college degree.
Healthcare and Mental Health: For those struggling with mental health issues, without proper guidance and medical insurance, they might not seek treatment.
Social Network: Leaving the foster care system means losing connections with caseworkers, mentors, and other positive influences in their lives Efforts are being made to improve this transition by providing extended support, life skills training, and mentorship programs.
Youth in Transition Every year, approximately 20,000 young adults transition out of the foster care system in the United States; about 1,000 of this group are from Ohio. Young adults who turn 18 or graduate from high school without having a permanent adoptive family are considered to be “emancipated” from care. Sometimes, this is called “aging out.” Venturing into the grown- up world without the security net of family for financial or emotional support holds many challenges and can carry lifelong consequences. Youth who age out of foster care are more likely to experience obstacles such as homelessness, joblessness, early parenthood, and substance use. Throughout the next few weeks, we will touch upon these difficulties, as well as the resources available to help them.
Put a Little Love In Your Heart... The mission of Community of Hope is to build a bridge between the foster system and a thriving adulthood. The Hope Program recruits and trains a team of diverse volunteer mentors and brings them together with young people who have been impacted by the Foster Care system. Volunteers and youth meet weekly for the first year to establish trust and tear down barriers of trauma. Once the friendships are established, the community becomes a family. For some of these young adults, this is the only reliable family connection they have. To learn more about becoming involved go to < https://hopecle.org >.
A Place 4 Me Collaborative is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and ending youth homelessness in Cuyahoga County. Peer Youth Navigators use their personal experience and knowledge to assist youth in accessing a variety of resources. “Opportunity Passport” is a matched savings and financial capabilities class for youth ages 14-25. Youth exiting homelessness receive “lodging kits” of household items, furniture resources, and financial assistance with housing application fees. They also offer one-time emergency assistance to youth between the ages of 18-24 experiencing a housing crisis. Contact < https:// aplace4me.org> to see how you can help.
Ohio Reach is a state program that supports former foster youth on their higher education journey < https://ohioreach.org>.