Homelessness has a devastating impact on children. School provides stability and a sense of continuity during an otherwise chaotic time, as well as access to other comprehensive services, both inside and outside the school, such as meals, health care, counseling, and recreation. But despite their desperate need, homeless children face high, often…

This paper describes the services and activities of the Orion Center, a drop-in day-use facility for homeless and runaway youth in Seattle (Washington). Orion Center uses experiential therapy and adventure-based activities to develop trust, promote fun and relationship building, and facilitate growth and healing among this homeless population. A…

This report describes family homelessness in New York City, which has risen sharply since 1980. Currently, the City's family shelter system is at capacity. Homeless children are typically raised by single mothers who receive no child support, are 27 years old, are unemployed and receiving welfare, and have had at least one public assistance…

This report presents data from 1999 surveys of people living in Chicago shelters and warming centers for families with children. The surveys asked about the impacts of welfare reform on respondents' lives. Researchers also surveyed housing and food assistance agencies, shelters, and other social service agencies. Of 481 families surveyed, 44…

This is an annotated resource guide for those interested in recent hunger and food insecurity studies. Objectives, methods, and key findings of each study are summarized, and contact information for obtaining the report is given. Studies are grouped by survey location and listed chronologically by publication or release date within each geographic…

This Spanish-language brochure suggests that parents, schools, and community members may contact the National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE for information related to the education of homeless children. The brochure identifies some facts that parents in homeless families should know about their children's right to education. After noting…

In the 1980s, homelessness attracted considerable attention from the media, advocates, politicians, and the public. Virtually every sector of society and the government responded. Interest in the issue has waned considerably since then, but the problem continues growing, particularly in large urban areas. While public policies address the problem,…

This annual report is the first to detail the services and achievements of Alaska's Division of Early Development. The report begins with a letter from the state's Department of Education Commissioner and a description of the Division, formed in 1999 to strengthen the ring of services for young children and their families in Alaska. The remainder…

This guide explains how to educate homeless students within the public schools, focusing on the Saint Paul, Minnesota, public schools. Section 1 defines homelessness. Section 2 presents data on the increasing numbers of homeless students in the area. Section 3 describes common problems faced by homeless students, including family mobility,…

In the early part of 1999, the Institute for Children and Poverty surveyed almost 2,000 families with more than 4,000 children in 24 locations to assess the state of homeless children across the United States. This report tells their story. Families account for almost 40% of U.S. homeless people, and in some cities that percentage is even higher.…

Describes a model of intervention that is designed to support and encourage literacy development among children whose families are or recently have been homeless. The article then places this model within a global context, discussing the broader implications of providing literacy support services for homeless families. (GR)

Notes that children and adolescents appear to suffer the most detrimental effects of homelessness. Discusses the problems faced by homeless youth and the educational systems that must respond to them, including causes and demographics of homelessness, detrimental effects of shelters, the victimization of homeless adolescents, and educational and…

Examines the restructuring of urban employment regimes through the lens of low-wage, temporary employment and its attendant social division of labor at the urban scale. Focuses on the ways in which a "regime of precarious employment" has been embedded within a regional growth model and describes emerging forms of labor market regulation associated…

Examines the legislative context of the new McKinney-Vento provisions, looking at the characteristics of homelessness and the resultant educational barriers that these provisions are attempting to address, and describing how two Texas school districts have responded to the challenges of providing transportation to ensure that students in homeless…

A study of 22 health occupations students examined whether participation in an interdisciplinary community health empowerment project with urban homeless and formerly homeless people changed their attitudes about community health practice, attitudes toward people who are indigent and homeless, and perceived leadership skills. Posttests revealed a…