Homeless Education in Nampa School District: What every district employee needs to know

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Homeless Education in Nampa School
DistrictWhat every district employee needs to
know
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Homelessness Its a Problem With Many Faces
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Homeless Students Reflect the Total Student
Population

• Some are gifted and talented
• Some have learning needs
• Some are athletic, musical, artistic
• Some have natural leadership skills
• Some are behaviorally challenging
• Most are survivors, struggling to beat the odds
  of their circumstances and
• ALL are valuable individually and as a part of
  our school community.

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During the 2009-10 school term, Nampa School
District had 757 documented homeless students.
This was up from 195 in 2008-09.
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Why the huge increase?There are probably many
reasons, but here are some

• Economic down turn in our area
• New system for registering homeless youth in
  school
• Increased awareness by school personnel
• Grant funding that allowed for improved services,
  including part time personnel
• Media coverage

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Many of our homeless families are first time
homeless

• Until recently, they had stable jobs, a roof over
  their heads, and food on the table.
• Until recently, they could buy food for their
  families, school supplies, and clothing.

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The newly homeless

• Do not know where to turn for help
• Feel embarrassed about their situation
• Feel guilty for having to ask for help
• Are not experienced in working with social
  service agencies to address their needs and
• Some would much prefer to do without rather
  than let anyone know of their plight.

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If you became homeless, how would you keep your
family together?
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The McKinney-Vento ActAuthorized Through The
Elementary and Secondary Education Act

• Requires School Districts to
• Designate a Homeless Liaison to oversee
  homeless education
• Identify, Engage, and Serve Homeless and
  Unaccompanied Children in School

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The McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act . . .

• Maintains educational continuity during a time of
  transition for the student
• Requires schools to identify and enroll students
  who meet the definition of homeless and
• Specifies provisions that must be made by each
  school for each homeless student.

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Homelessness Has Many Definitions in the
McKinney-Vento Act

• Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss
  of housing, economic hardship, or other similar
  reason
• Living in a car, park, campground, public space,
  abandoned building, substandard housing or
  similar
• Living in emergency or transitional shelters

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Definitions (cont.)

• Living temporarily in a motel or hotel due to
  loss of housing, economic hardship or similar
  reason
• Moving from place to place due to loss of housing
  or economic hardship
• Having a primary night time residence that is a
  public or private place not designed for or
  ordinarily used as a sleeping accommodation for
  human beings
• Living in a house or vehicle of any kind
  (including camper) without running water,
  electricity, or heat

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Definitions (Cont)

• Migratory children who qualify as homeless
  because they are living in circumstances
  described above
• A homeless Unaccompanied Youth is someone who is
  not in the physical custody of a parent or
  guardian, and who lacks a fixed, regular, and
  adequate night time residence.

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Many of our students live in doubled up
situations with many people in a house.
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Schools must inform the Community about the
provisions for homeless students in Nampa School
District in two ways
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These posters must be placed in an obvious
location in EVERY school building and throughout
the community
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A Student Questionnaire Form, found on the
Administrators Support Center, MUST be placed in
the registration packet of every student every
year.
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Nampa School District Student Questionnaire
Form In order to better serve your children, The
Nampa School district is helping the state of
Idaho identify students who may qualify to
receive additional educational services. The
information provided below will be kept
confidential. Please answer the following
questions and return this form to your childs
school. This questionnaire is intended to
address the McKinney-Vento Act 42 U.S.C.
11435. 1. Student is with an adult that is not a
parent or legal guardian, or alone without an
adult. ? Yes, I am an unaccompanied Youth
Not in the physical custody of a parent or
guardian 2. Presently, are you and/or your family
in any of the following situations? Check one
box. ? Yes, sharing the home of others due to
loss of housing, economic hardship, similar
reason doubled-up. ? Yes, living in a car,
park, campground, public space, abandoned
building, substandard housing or similar. ?
Yes, temporarily living in a motel or hotel due
to loss of housing, economic hardship or similar
reason. ? Yes, moving from place to place due
to loss of housing or economic hardship. ?
Yes, living in a house or vehicle of any kind
(including camper) without running water,
electricity, or heat. Students Name
__________________________________________________
________________Date _____________
Last,
First, Middle I Students
School __________________________________________
_______________ Birth date _________________ Grad
e ____________ Name of Parent(s)/Legal
Guardian(s)______________________________________
______________________________Contact Address
____________________________________ Zip
__________Phone___________________________ Other
children in the family ________________________
_ school_____________________________
_________________________ school_______________
______________ Signature of Parent/Legal
Guardian ________________________________________
_____Date_________________ (Signature of student
if unaccompanied youth) Presenting a false
record or falsifying records is an offense under
Section 37.10, Penal code, and enrollment of the
child under false documents subjects the person
to liability for tuition or other costs. TEC
Sec. 25.002 (3)(d)
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REMEMBERHomelessness is a temporary situation
in most cases it is not a permanent description
of a child or family
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Sometimes we have clues that a child might be
homeless
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A child that displays any of the following might
be homeless or in need of additional support

• Early arrival or departure from school
• Lack of clarity about address, phone or contact
  information
• Tardy, unusual absences or change in routine
• Lack of appropriate clothing for the season
• Use of school facilities for personal needs

• Stressed, sleepy, change in behavior
• Hygiene issues
• Change in grades or school performance
• Lack of school supplies, lost books/supplies
• Loss of access to computer
• Storing clothes or personal items at school

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If you think a student might be homeless,
discuss your concerns with the school counselor,
social worker or nurse.
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What Are the Things a School Must Do?

• The person who registers students in any building
  MUST give every student a copy of the Student
  Questionnaire Form. (Found in the Policies and
  Procedures Manual).
• If the student/family does not fill out the form,
  there is no further work to do on this topic at
  this time.
• If the student/family does complete the form, the
  next steps must happen
• Fax the form to Mary Ensley (468-4638)
• Let the school counselor and nurse know that this
  student has been enrolled, so they can begin work
  with school records, health issues, providing
  school supplies, hygiene kits, etc.

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Other Enrollment Regulations(Clarification is
found in the Policies and Procedures Manual)

• Continue enrollment in the school the student was
  attending at the time of homelessness, regardless
  of the school zone of their new housing
• Enroll students without required documentation
• Medical Records
• Birth certificate
• School records
• Enroll unaccompanied youth, even without an adult
  present
• Help fill out free/reduced lunch form (every
  homeless child is eligible for free lunch)
• Provide a School Handbook encourage
  participation in school activities
• Provide all needed school supplies and
• Provide hygiene kits, if needed. (Every nurse
  has a supply).

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What happens to the SQF?

• Once received in the Student Services office, the
  following steps take place
• The form is documented, dated, and signed by the
  Program coordinator
• It is forwarded to Peggy Miller, District
  Homeless Liaison, and faxed to Nutrition
  Services
• The case is assigned to Kimberlee Minter, a
  social worker whose work is specifically with
  homeless children and families
• The case management with wrap-around services
  begins
• The case is monitored throughout the school term.

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The Social Worker Assigned to Homeless Students
Will

• Collaborate with building counselors, social
  workers, nurses, and teachers to do case planning
  in behalf of the homeless child
• Contact homeless families to determine needs,
  which may include school supplies, clothing,
  medical, dental and more and
• Provide wrap-around services to families by means
  of collaboration with community entities.

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Additional Services May Include

• Limited medical, dental and counseling
• Transportation needs, including limited car
  repair (usually under 100) to get children to
  school and/or services
• Help with utilities (by means of community
  donations)
• Clothing (by means of community donations) and
• Assistance in finding housing, child care and
  other services that may keep a family who is on
  the edge from becoming homeless.

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Academic Support to Homeless Students

• Counselors report concerns to program staff, and
  together they may
• Visit the home of the children, working with
  parents on issues that keep the child from
  attending school
• Collaborate with other school and community
  services that can provide support for the childs
  academic success.
• Students grades, attendance and tardiness are
  monitored quarterly and
• Homeless students standardized test scores are
  monitored and compared to non homeless for the
  purpose of finding gaps in services that may
  cause lack of academic success.

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Because of grant funding and additional community
support, the following services were provided to
homeless students and their families last year

• Emergency/critical dental 30
• Housing referrals 147
• Vision correction 2
• Employment referrals 10
• Phone consultation and case management too many
  to count!

• Weekend food 260
• School supplies 493
• Hygiene kits 160
• Emergency clothing 500
• Blankets 75
• Transportation for extra school events 3
  families

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Feed the ChildrenOur newest partner has
provided more than 750 back packs for elementary
and middle school youth. Each back pack includes
a bag of school supplies, hygiene items, and a
bag of nutritious snack foods. Distribution will
be to those students who are documented homeless
by means of signed Student Information
Questionnaires.
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If children are warm and fed, it is much easier
to focus on school work.
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Teachers may be the only consistent part of a
childs life during the time of homelessness.
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To a homeless child, life is seen as uncertain
and blurred. What do you see?
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With some help, the picture becomes clearer
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Ways Teachers Can Help

• Understand homeless children have heavy burdens
  and fears other children know nothing about.
• Be sensitive to challenges, such as homework
  papers that are wrinkled or messy.
• Many children do not have access to a computer
  provide alternative ways to do assignments that
  are otherwise prepared on a computer.
• Collaborate with counselors, social workers, and
  nurses when you feel new problems rising.
• Homeless students dont need sympathy they do
  need consistent support.
• Dont assume students know basic social skills,
  such as how to play they may need to be taught
  how to do so.
• Let each child know you genuinely believe in
  them, and that you support all their efforts to
  succeed, however small.

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Some children come to school chronically hungry.
How can you know?

• Quickly eating all the food served asking for
  more
• Regularly asking the teacher for food
• Saving/hoarding/stealing food to take home
• Asking classmates for food they dont want
• Asking when the next meal/snack will be served
• Rushing food lines
• Extreme thinness
• Chronically dry/cracked lips and/or dry and itchy
  eyes.
• Source The Idaho Foodbank

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Many Partners Work to Help Our Homeless Students

• Vouchers from Deseret Industries
• LDS Humanitarian Center
• Local Churches
• Nampa Chamber of Commerce
• Local Businesses, including Walmart and Cap-Ed
• Boise Rescue Mission Ministries through Light
  House
• Come to the Table Dinners (Ministerial Assoc.)
• Salvation Army
• LOVE, Inc.
• Realtors
• Individual Volunteers
• H W Navigator
• Shelters
• And many more

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And just in case there is a disagreement about
theenrollment of a homeless child, there is a
plan
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Protocol for Enrollment DisputesAll forms can
be found on the Administrative Support Center site
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Additional information and all required forms are
posted on the NSD Administrative Support Center
under the Administrative Rules and Regulations
tab
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Too often we underestimate the power of a
touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an
honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring,
all of which have the potential to turn a life
around.  Leo F. Buscaglia
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This slide show was prepared as a training tool
by the Nampa School District Student Services
Department
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Credits

• The Idaho Foodbank, Boise, ID
• Optical Illusions Retrieved from
  http//eyetricks.com/1101.htm, 27 August 2009.
• Photos www.huffingtonpost.com/news/homelessness,
  24 August 2010.
• Photos Garam, B. Educating our homeless.
  Power Point Presentation. Retrieved on line 28
  August 2009 at
• www.profweb.ws/The20McKinney-Vento20Homeless20
  Assistance20Act,20Subtitle
• Tennessee Department of Education (2009). The
  McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act Effective
  Education for Children and Youth in Tennessee.
  Power Point presentation retrieved on line 28
  August, 2009 at
• www.state.tn.us/education/fedprog/doc/McKVStimulu
  s309.ppt
• U. S. Department of Education, (2004). Education
  for homeless children and youth program Title
  VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance
  Act. Washington, D. C. Author.

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