The Women’s Guild of St. Mark’s hosted two members of the Advocates for Homeless Teens, Dr. Lori Davis and Judy Smith, at their meeting of September 28, 2010.
The Advocate group has been appointed by the Mayor of Irving, with the task of recommending action which would lead to the provision of a safe and stable environment in which homeless teens can live while attending high school in Irving.
Homeless children are entitled to protection under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act, the primary piece of federal legislation dealing with the education of youth experiencing homelessness in U.S. public schools. The term “homeless” applies to children sharing housing due to economic hardship or loss of housing; children living in motels or camp grounds due to lack of alternative accommodations; or to children awaiting foster care placement.
While the city of Irving does not have emergency or transitional facilities to accommodate homeless teens yet, alarming statistics attest to the following facts:
- Less than one in four homeless teens graduates from high school.
- Over twenty percent of girls become pregnant.
- One third of homeless children are forced into sexual exploitation within 48 hours.
- More children are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in Texas than in any other state.
- Texas had 337,000 homeless children as of 2009. In 2008 a count found there were 1,273 homeless children on any given night in Dallas County and the numbers are growing.
- Texas received the lowest ranking in the nation in a state report card on child homelessness.
- Texas has no long-term planning to address homeless children
- Homeless children are invisible.
IRVING FIGURES
In May 2010 at IISD there were 135 active homeless students in 9th-12th grade and 30 active homeless students in Winfree Academy Charter School. Last year, there were over 1000 homeless children in IISD schools.
Given the enormous task of dealing with the entire homeless population, the Advocates decided to focus on a smaller group – these homeless teens who were trying to stay in school.
POVERTY vs. POVERTY PLUS HOMELESSNESS
Studies have shown that homeless youth have a higher risk of academic failure than those students who live in dire poverty, but have stable housing. It was therefore obvious that housing was a critical problem.
PROBLEMS IN SCHOOL
Children living in homeless situations usually perform two to three years below grade level.
HOMELESS TEENS MORE LIKELY…
To experience physical abuse and low self-esteem, health problems and malnutrition, sleeping problems and low levels of language skills and learning disabilities attention deficit disorder, and developmental delays.
To exhibit anxiety, withdrawal, depression, restlessness, hyperactivity, aggressive behavior, inappropriate acting out and immature motor behavior.
Attendees were apprised of the services being provided to homeless teens under the Pass Program (Program for Assisting Students in School), and of plans for establishing group housing for boys, initially, in Irving. The consensus was reached that this was an issue worthy of support under St. Mark’s Outreach Program.