By: Arleen Mayer Zaide Casillas Javier Vargas Homelessness

The American Psychological Association 2009 Presidential Task Force on Psychology’s Contribution to End Homelessness Homelessness: lacking safe, stable, and appropriate places to live, including sheltered and unsheltered people, and those in overcrowded and doubled-up situations. Introduction

Don’t forget: You can copy- paste this slide into other presentations, and move or resize the poll.

The United States has the largest number of homeless women and children of any industrialized nation 1 in 50 children in the US are homeless. On any give day, 200,000 children have no place to live. Homeless families comprise 34% of the homeless population. Almost 40% of the entire homeless population is under % of these homeless children are younger than 6 Source: Shine Global Statistics

Don’t forget: You can copy- paste this slide into other presentations, and move or resize the poll.

Poverty and the lack of affordable housing are the principal causes of family homelessness National Coalition for the Homeless Teen parents Substance abuse Violent parents/stepparents Runaway youth GLBT Female headed households American Psychological Association Causes

Hunger Poor Physical Health Hygiene issues, infections, health care issues etc. Poor Mental Health Depression, anxiety Missed Educational Opportunities Poor Sleep Violence By age 12, 83% had been exposed to at least one serious violent event. Almost 25% have witnessed acts of violence within their families. Shine Global Source: American Psychological Association - The Effects of Homelessness

Homeless children are sick four times more often than other children. Four times as many respiratory infections. Twice as many ear infections. Five times more gastrointestinal problems. Four times more likely to have asthma. Go hungry at twice the rate of other children. 57% of homeless kids spend at least one day every month without food. Have high rates of obesity due to nutritional deficiencies Have three times the rate of emotional and behavioral problems compared to non-homeless children Health

public schools enrolled nearly 1 million homeless children and youth in – a 38% increase since National Association for the Education of Homeless children and Youth ml ml Homeless children are twice as likely to have a learning disability, repeat a grade, or to be suspended from school American Psychological Association Attendance issues Impact on Education

Homeless children and unaccompanied youth must have access to public school educational programs and services that allow them to meet the same challenging state academic standards to which all students are held. McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act

Designate a homeless liaison in each school district. Identify and immediately enroll any homeless child or youth (preschool to grade 12), even without academic or medical records. Continue children or youths in their "school of origin" for the duration of their homelessness. Inform parents/guardians of the educational rights of their children. Provide transportation, at the request of the parent, to the school of origin. Ensure no barriers exist (for example, residency requirements, lack of transportation or school fees) for full educational participation. Develop partnerships with community agencies to identify and assist with basic services for homeless families, children, and youth. Ensure homeless students are not segregated or stigmatized. Program Elements

2.1.G Explain how individual behaviors and one’s family and school influence growth and development. 7.1.G Determine behaviors that promote healthy growth and development. Lesson Reading comprehension lesson regarding Liz Murray and her life story. Show the documentary “Homeless to Harvard”

Additional Resources Available