Literacy Programs for Homeless Children - Report Example

Running head: SHOULDWE EXPAND OUR SUPPORT OF LITERACY PRORAMS FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN Should we Expand our Support of Literacy Programs for Homeless Children Introduction It has been held by development and educational researchers that children that experience homelessness suffer by way of literacy development and self esteem. The problem of homelessness amongst children is growing by the day as more and more children get affected. Homelessness cannot be said to be a domestic problem impacting only social welfare and housing, but it is a global issue. This is evident from the fact that international organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee for the Red Cross are working across the world in assisting families without permanent housing facilities. There are several causes of homelessness, such as domestic violence, economic hardships and war. Homelessness is bad because it creates chaos and instability in the family and threatens development of children. Researchers have found that homeless children are mostly made to forego literary and language opportunities. It is known in this context that disruption in educational development and stressed family relationships can lead to severe adversities in a child’s later learning environment (Duffield and Lovell, 2008). Communities are now beginning to realize that while addressing the issue of homelessness, it is not merely enough to resolve problems relative to food and shelter. It is imperative to provide children with literary support through which they can get over with the challenges of coping with homelessness. Research has also shown that in general, homeless children stand higher chances of suffering from health and psychological problems and developmental issues and generally demonstrate poor performance in school as compared to other children having permanent housing (US Department of Education, 2011). It is for these reasons that society must expand support of literacy programs for homeless children. Main Body Because of homelessness, children are put at strong risks of poor health. Research has indicated that as compared to children having permanent homes, homeless children stand four times more chances of being in poor health. Such children are two times more likely to visit emergency medical centers and to be deprived of the normal immunizations that are necessary for children. Moreover, homeless children have to often go without food and it is because of these reasons that these children perform poorly in academics. Homeless children get poor results in schools because they have to under go immense turmoil and are at constant risk of being shifted from one school to another, in addition to being made to skip school for an indefinite number of days because of the need to meet their basic family needs. It has been established through research that mobility has a devastating impact on children’s achievements and that it significantly reduces such children’s chances of graduating from high school. Schools are known to provide support to homeless children but they continue to face some unique hurdles in education such as not being able to comply with enrollment conditions relative to proof of residence, guardianship, health records etc. They often change their residences frequently, resulting in unstable schooling and continuity in education. These children are considerably constrained because of lack of transport facilities, inadequate clothing and school supplies, hunger, fatigue and poor health. Mostly, these difficulties for homeless children are not addressed and they are not able to attend school, which prevents them from getting an education that is supposed to be guaranteed by law (Iowa Department of Education, 2004). If initiatives are taken by schools to address the needs of homeless children, a sanctuary of support and stability can be created for them. They can be provided opportunities in acquiring skills needed to rise above poverty and to maintain a sound household as adults. Appropriate legislative support needs to be provided whereby homeless students are permitted to remain in the same school if their families shift to other places in different districts. Schools must be asked to provide transport for students residing at distant places from the school. Homeless children should not be barred from attending school just because they are unable to immediately provide documents such as proof of residence, birth certificates, proof of guardianship and immunization papers etc. Many schools are not following the provisions of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act in the right spirit. The Act was passed in 1987 and was further amended in 2001 as the No Child Left Behind Act, whereby support was required to be provided to homeless children in regard to access to schools and attendance. If the McKinney-Vento Act is implemented thoroughly, many of the hardships faced by homeless children will be removed (Hanning, 2011). The federal government can provide added support by increasing funding so that homeless children continue in the same school even if their families change residence. Homeless children need to be supported through facilities such as counseling, school supplies and tutoring so that their education is stabilized even if their family life is full of insecurity. Congress can make a big difference by infusing adequate funds in helping homeless children to enroll, attend and do well in schools. The financial help will provide homeless children with additional support in being able to continue with their schooling. Additional funding is required because the McKinney-Vento Act does not provide for adequate funding to remove the financial difficulties faced by homeless children. Funding also needs to be increased for child care because almost 40 percent homeless children are less than five years of age. At such a young age, homeless children are adversely impacted if they do not get a schooling environment and they lose in terms of their future academic development, creating ground for them to get involved in delinquent activities. It is known through research that young children undergoing homelessness mostly suffer from developmental delay and from learning disability. They also tend to demonstrate higher levels of socio motion problems (Institute for Children and Poverty, 2011). The problem of homelessness amongst children can be significantly reduced if the government addresses the need to provide rental accommodation for poor families. A bigger problem has arisen as the numbers of homeless families have significantly increased because of the recession and foreclosures that made several families to lose their homes. It is required of the government to take measures to enhance funding by the national housing agencies so that poor families can be rehabilitated. Short term and long term measures should be taken so that families can be prevented from becoming homeless because the best solution lies in preventing the problem from occurring. There are several measures the government can use in stabilizing housing for poor families, such as credit repair facilities, rental assistance, utility payment, utility deposit and other initiatives. The federal government’s Emergency Shelter Program should be further strengthened and made more flexible in benefiting homeless families. It must be ensured that homeless families be made eligible for assistance from the federal government. Families that have become homeless because of adversities arising out of the recent economic downturn should be recognized as homeless so that their children get benefits eligible for homeless children. The idea is to avoid the exposure of these children to the extreme adversities that go with homelessness. Conclusion Community agencies can do a lot in supporting the education of homeless children through effectively responding to their literacy needs. Community agencies can work with schools to mitigate a number of difficulties faced by homeless families and their children. Most homeless families are not aware of the current facilities that are available for their children in terms of educational support provided by the government such as through the provisions of the McKinney Vento Act. Community agencies can play an important role in helping schools to raise funds and to provide varied supports to homeless children. They can provide assistance to homeless families and children in reinforcing the significance of attending school on a regular basis. It is thus necessary that society must expand support of literacy programs for homeless children. List of References Duffield, Barbara and Lovell, P. (2008). The Unfolding Increase in Child & Youth Homelessness, First Focus Hanning, Eileen. (2011). Literacy Development and Homeless Children, http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED417397.pdf, Accessed on 22 December, 2011. Institute for Children and Poverty. (2011). National Data on Family Homelessness. http://www.icphusa.org/, Accessed on 22 December, 2011. Iowa Department of Education. (2004). HOMELESSNESS LOCAL PROGRAM PLANNING AND REVIEW GUIDES SERVICES FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN AND YOUTH, educateiowa.gov/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc. Accessed on 22 December, 2011. US Department of Education. (2011). Education of Homeless Youth Program, http://www2.ed.gov/offices/OUS/PES/esed/learnsucceed/exec_sum.html, Accessed on 22 December, 2011. Read More