Monthly Archives: September 2014

Hungry, Scared, Tired and Sick: How Homelessness Hurts Children

Almost half of the 30,000 students who are homeless in Washington state are in fifth grade or below. This trend holds nationally. This means that these very young children are less likely to get the developmental supports they need to learn and function well during middle childhood. Image from Children’s Defense Fund.
Almost half of the 30,000 students who are homeless in Washington state are in fifth grade or below. This trend holds nationally. This means that these very young children are less likely to get the developmental supports they need to learn and function well during middle childhood. Image from Children’s Defense Fund.
Impoverished children are climbing mountains before they can walk. From lack of housing to hunger and violence, poverty places adult demands on child-sized shoulders. Stability is crucial to the health and well being of a child. But in this post, this first part of our series on homelessness in the classroom, we’ll see how poverty and homelessness create an unstable world for children.

Homelessness and Poverty in the Public Education System: An Intro to Our Blog Series

Children know when they are falling behind academically. As they continue to struggle, they can develop both low self esteem and a dislike of school. That is why it is so essential that children who need extra help get it. Image from pixabay.com.
Children know when they are falling behind academically. As they continue to struggle, they can develop both low self esteem and a dislike of school. That is why it is so essential that children who need extra help get it. Image from pixabay.com.
As the new school year starts, teachers face many challenges. So do children who are dealing with homelessness and poverty. And this couldn’t be truer than for impoverished children who are also in need of special education services. Adults who work with children in poverty and homelessness need to understand how this environment influences academic skill and emotional development, and how it relates to special education needs. That's why we're launching this series by Perry Firth on how homelessness and poverty affect the development of children, and how this can show up in the education system.
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