ERIC ED462508: Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program: Title VII, Subtitle B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Report to Congress, Fiscal Year 2000.

by: ERIC

Publication date: 2000

Topics: ERIC Archive, Access to Education, Adolescents, Children, Elementary Secondary Education, Enrollment Trends, Homeless People, State Government,

Collection: ericarchive; additional_collections

Language: English

This report compiles data submitted by state educational agencies in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. States are required to provide an estimate of: total number of homeless children and youth by grade level, number of homeless children and youth enrolled in public school by grade level, number of homeless children and youth regularly attending school by grade level, and primary nighttime residence of homeless children and youth. The greatest numbers of homeless children are at the preschool and elementary levels. Lower numbers reported for secondary school may be due to difficulties identifying older children and youth. Approximately 67 percent of identified homeless children and youth are enrolled in school. Excluding preschool, 87 percent of homeless children and youth attend school regularly. Most homeless children and youth identified in state reports live in shelters, doubled up with friends or relatives, or in other situations such as motels and campgrounds. Barriers to enrolling in and attending school include transportation, lack of official school records, immunization requirements, residency requirements, and providing birth certificates. Strategies for addressing issues in homeless education include increasing awareness of the problem and promoting interagency collaboration to meet children's needs. Tables on homeless children and youth are appended. (SM)