THE CALIFORNIA HOMELESS YOUTH PROJECT:

A Research and Policy Initiative of the California Research Bureau (CRB) and the California State Library (CSL), with funding from the California Wellness Foundation.

WHAT CAN LOCAL PTAs DO TO HELP HOMELESS CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN THEIR COMMUNITIES? By Ginny Puddefoot
Educate schools and communities about child and youth homelessness and the McKinney- Vento Act Many schools and community organizations are not aware that there are homeless children and youth attending their local schools. Homeless youth in particular tend to be invisible and may not consider themselves homeless. Local PTAs can hold educational forums and highlight the facts about child and youth homelessness in their communities. They can educate students, school personnel and community organizations about the rights of homeless children and youth to attend school and participate fully in school activities. Contact homeless education liaisons and support their work As the number of homeless children and youth increases, the work of the homeless education liaisons becomes that much more difficult. Although every school district is required to designate a homeless education liaison, in many districts the homeless education liaison is wearing multiple hats. Local PTAs can establish contact with the homeless education liaison in their district and find out the specific needs of their communities. When surveyed, homeless education liaisons were enthusiastic about working with their PTAs to provide greater support to homeless students. Work with schools to establish on- site supports for homeless youth Homeless youth are at particular risk of dropping out and may be invisible in their communities. Often, school personnel are aware of youth at risk of homelessness or currently on the street (coach surfing) yet they lack the resources to provide assistance. Local PTAs can work with schools to provide some or all of the following: Essential practical supports: Access to showers, lockers, and laundry facilities A safe place to study after school and to store books and school supplies Funding for uniforms, backpacks, field trips, sports equipment, calculators Personal hygiene supplies
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Gift cards for grocery stores and food, hair cuts, gas, books, movies Bus passes, transportation vouchers, carpools Clothing, particularly coast and warm clothes, shoes, and sleeping bags/blankets Information about emergency shelters, food banks and community supports

Powerful interventions to change lives: Mentoring and sponsorship of individual students who are homeless Job training and employment opportunities Practical life-skills supporthow to manage money, balance a checkbook Assistance obtaining copies of recordsbirth certificates, social security cards, medical records, school records Advocacy for staying in school, support exploring educational and career opportunities Assistance filling out college and job applications, applying for food stamps and public health insurance Providing host homes for homeless youth until they graduate from high school Support school- based health, mental health, after- school and family resource centers Preventing child and youth homelessness is a much more effective strategy for ensuring these children and young people stay in school than intervening after they have lost stable housing. School -based programs can provide an opportunity for adults to provide assistance to at-risk children and youthand their familiesbefore they end up homeless. Local PTAs can establish contact with existing school-based health, mental health, after-school, family resources centers to provide additional assistance and funding, and they can also work with schools and communities to bring needed services to school sites, since that is where these children and youth are.

CONTACTS AND RESOURCES For information about the California Homeless Youth Project, please contact Shahera Hyatt, Project Director, at (916) 653-8722 or shyatt@library.ca.gov . For information about the McKinney-Vento Act and the rights of homeless children and youth to attend school, please contact the National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) at 800-308-2145 or see their website www.serve.org/nche For information about homeless education liaisons, please contact Leanne 2 Wheeler, California Department of Education, 916-319-0383, LWheeler@cde.ca.gov