Kids Without Homes: A School District Responds

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Kids Without HomesA School District Responds

• Wichita Falls ISD
• Homeless Education Training

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Contact Information

• District Homeless Liaison
• Sherry Lindemann
• Office Phone [phone]x15031
• Email slindemann_at_wfisd.net

Homeless Education Coordinator / School Social
Worker

• Name Emily Valverde, LBSW
• Office Phone [phone]x16036
• Email evalverde_at_wfisd.net

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Troubling Statistics
The younger the child, the more likely he or she
is to live in poverty.
Percentage of Texas Children Living in Poverty
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Homeless Children in Texas
Current Estimate
140,000
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Homeless Statistics in Wichita Falls

• Number of Identified Homeless
• Students for 2008-2009 School Year
• 306
• Number of Identified Homeless Students for
  2009-2010 to date
• 167

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Stereotypes of Homelessness

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Why do people become homeless?
Poverty Lack of affordable housing Loss of
job Economic hardships
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Who is homeless?
The Federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance
Act Says that children and youth who lack a
fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime
residence are homeless.
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The McKinney-Vento Act

• The definition of homeless
• children and youth includes
• unaccompanied youth not
• living with a parent or
• legal guardian.

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Who is homeless??

• Families living in doubled-up situations
• Families living in a hotel/motel
• Families or Children living in shelters-Faith
  Mission, Childrens Home, Teen Shelter, First
  Step
• Families moving from place to place
• Unaccompanied youth

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Who is homeless?

• Families staying in locations not designed for
  ordinary sleeping accommodations such as a car or
  the park
• Children who have been informally placed outside
  their home, not living with a biological parent.

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Increasing Awareness
Life is difficult for our homeless students
Stress Factors include

• Transient / unstable lifestyle
• Living in crowded conditions
• Frequently changing schools
• Inadequate personal hygiene
• Shabby or unclean clothing
• Poor health / nutrition
• Emotional and social difficulties

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Federal Law
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
defines and protects the rights of homeless
students to enroll in, attend, and succeed in our
public schools
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Texas Education Code
Chapter 25 of the Texas Education Code
specifies that a student who is homeless is
entitled to admission in any Texas school district
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The McKinney-Vento Act
What you must know about the law

• Educational Stability

• Transportation

• Immediate Enrollment

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The McKinney-Vento Act
Key Provisions of the Law

• Immediate Enrollment

• Choice of Schools

• Transportation

• Services

• Dispute Resolution

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Making a Difference
Ways You Can Assist Our Students in Homeless
Situations

• Direct Assistance
• Indirect Assistance

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Identifying students in homeless situations
Identification

• The law requires all school districts
• to identify students in homeless
• situations. Identifying students in
• homeless situations is also an
• important way to create greater
• awareness of homelessness in the
• school district and community.

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Identification

• Student Residency Questionnaires
• (SRQ)
• SRQs are designed to assist with
• identification of students who
• might be in homeless situations.
• All students, OLD and NEW, must
• fill out an SRQ form.

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Identification

• As we all know, living situations
• may change several times for
• some of our kids during the
• school year. School Staff are the
• eyes and ears when it comes to
• Identification. When you hear
• that a living situation might have
• changed, go talk to your
• campuses homeless contact.

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Assisting our Homeless Students
can make a difference!
You

• Professional development
• Identification
• Immediate assistance
• Continuing care
• Expanding outreach
• Effective communications

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Online Resources
TEA Online http//www.tea.state.tx.us/

• Correspondence list for
• Administrators

• Subscribe to TEA listservs at
• http//www.tea.state.tx.us/list/

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Online Resources
USDE Online http//www.ed.gov/
Main web page links to

• NCLB legislation
• NCLB regulations
• NCLB policy guidelines
• Federal Register Notes
• NCLB resources
• Grant competitions

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