How exactly is a child supposed to do their homework when they don’t even have a home at the end of the school day? That’s the problem one million school children now face in the United States, according to data collected by the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. The number of homeless students has leaped in the last three years, from the 679,000 reported by the advocacy group in 2006-2007. The surges in unemployment and foreclosures are the biggest reasons for the jump to a million homeless students, creating additional barriers for children and teens to get a quality education.
In one school district in Buncombe County, North Carolina, the number of homeless students increased by 80% in just one year. School officials have tried to accommodate these students by providing special bus service to shelters, motels, trailer parks, RV campgrounds—wherever their families settle down for the night.
The problem even extends to some universities. Sabrina Tinsay was able to attend UCLA thanks to a scholarship and a full-time job at a convalescent home. But her scholarship ran out and the job ended. For the remainder of the school year, she bounced around from friend to friend, sometimes showering at the athletic center, sleeping in the library and eating food donated to the Student Activities Center. Meanwhile, she worked numerous part-time and temporary jobs while maintaining a 3.7 grade point average.
-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky