This paper reports on a study of the Houston (Texas) Independent School District's Lighted Schoolhouse Program, which is designed to serve as an intermediary between homeless children and community service agencies, to provide a range of after-school activities for unattended children, and to provide opportunities for participation of families and…

This publication is the second report, tailored to a non-specialist audience, of five country case studies under the Urban Child Program of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) International Child Development Center. The crisis of unprotected children and adolescents in Brazil has developed along with rapid industrialization and great…

The Children's Defense Fund (CDF) presents its 1991 report on the state of America's children. An introductory call to action includes seven steps that CDF will take to attain its goals and 10 lessons to guide activists. The rest of the report focuses on: (1) family income and employment; (2) child care; (3) health; (4) education; (5) youth…

This report outlines the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' plan to address the educational needs of homeless children and youth, as required by the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. The major purpose of the plan is to guide local education agencies and supply them with resources as they attempt to meet the educational needs of homeless…

This report reviews six recently published books on the education of urban and minority youth, and the social and cultural environment in which they live. "The Homeless in Contemporary Society" (edited by R. D. Bingham, R. E. Green, and S. B. White), is a primer on homelessness in America. "Gender Influences in Classroom…

Many poor families in rural West Virginia live in unsafe, unsanitary structures that do not protect them from the elements, but these families are not considered officially homeless. Lincoln and Clay Counties are very rural, traditionally poor areas, with 45% of their populations receiving welfare and much larger proportions receiving food stamps.…

Homelessness has emerged on the public agenda of economically advanced nations but not all such issues become recognized as "legitimate" social problems. National politicians and policymakers have an interest in defining the problem narrowly in order to avoid response and implied criticism of existing policies and institutions. Local…

For most low-income households, housing has become increasingly unaffordable. High housing cost burdens have serious implications, including the growing problems of homelessness and hunger. Data on national trends and housing conditions suggest that just as the affordable housing problems worsened dramatically for low-income households between the…

This report identifies the following objectives in the State of Maryland's efforts to prevent and substantially reduce homelessness: (1) expand resources for the prevention of homelessness, and investigate possible changes in policies contributing to homelessness; (2) establish a strong emergency response to homelessness throughout the State; (3)…

This study investigated the impact of homelessness on the health of parents and the health and education of their children living in East Lothian, Scotland, and was carried out over a 6-month period from December 1999. In-depth interviews were conducted with 19 parents and children who were currently experiencing or who had experienced…

This study collected information on girls in San Francisco, California in the areas of demographics, economics, education, health, safety and violence, and criminal justice. Data came from local, state, and national sources (e.g., the U.S. Census Bureau; the California Bureau of Justice and the Criminal Statistics Center; the California Department…

Based on the view that increasing numbers of mothers who do not fit a narrow traditional image are often maligned, misunderstood, or ignored, this book presents the stories of a diverse group of mothers whose life circumstances place them outside the mainstream. Chapters explore the lives of mothers of exceptional children and biracial children;…

Describes a project at Christopher Newport University (Virginia) in which social work faculty, practitioners, and students developed and implemented a local, college-based community service project to house the homeless. Focus is on the impact of a service learning seminar combining academic and community service work on students' prosocial…

The involvement of program beneficiaries in a study of the educational problems of homeless children is described. The 3 stakeholder groups were the 9 teachers, 7 shelter staff members, and 20 homeless parents. The equitable participation of the parents was an achieved goal that enhanced evaluation findings' validity. (SLD)

For now, it appears that both the New Orleans district, Louisiana's largest, and the nearby St. Bernard public schools could be largely out of commission for the whole school year, state Superintendent Cecil J. Picard said. With officials estimating that more than 230,000 public and private school students from Louisiana had been displaced by the…