Profile: Under 18 and Homeless
Lydia M. Child described a home as "That blessed word, which opens to the human heart the most perfect glimpse of Heaven, and helps to carry it thither, as on an angel's wings." Most people take the luxury of having a home for granted, but the reality is, not every one is lucky enough to have a roof over their head every night. The question that comes to mind is simple in its essence, but not as easy to answer: How do families and kids end up on the streets and what is being done about it?Counting the exact number of homeless people is difficult; the reported number differs depending on whom you ask. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), up to 600,000 men, women and children go homeless every night in the United States. The Better Homes Fund claims the number of homeless children alone is 1.2 million. The Fund bases their findings on the estimates from the U.S. Department of Education that reports 400,000 homeless children were served by the nation's public schools last year. Because more that half of all homeless children are under the age of six and not yet in school and some homeless kids do not attend school at all, the Fund concluded the total number of homele
Homeless babies show significantly slower development than other children. org - Stand Up For Kids 04/03/2001www. While they are experiencing homelessness, however, children desperately need to remain in school. Despite state and federal efforts to provide homeless children with improved access to public schools, at least one-fifth of homeless children do not attend school. Stand Up For Kids offers immediate necessities such as food, clothing, shelter and personal hygiene as well as housing assistance, education assistance, vocational development, counseling, health services, transportation to self-help meetings, and legal assistance. Steps need to be taking to ensure that the health of America's homeless children is protected. The Education of Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program, established by Congress in 1987 as part of the Stewart B. Stand Up For Kids, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1990 to help rescue homeless and at-risk youth, provides straightforward counseling and educational programs, thereby helping homeless children acquire the life skills necessary to become effective members of their community. gov - Department of Health and Human Services 03/29/2001www. They roam the streets night after night, moving from place to place in a search of food and shelter, lacking medical attention and education. State and local educational agencies receive McKinney funds to review and revise laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as a barrier to the enrollment, attendance, and success in school of homeless children. Throughout their young lives, homeless children suffer from very high rate of acute illness, with half suffering from two or more symptoms during a single month. Since Andrew did not want to put up with his uncle's abuse, he took to the street, turning to prostitution to survive, turning to drugs to cope.
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Acceptance Essays
