ACTION OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY LEADERS

What homeless children need most of all is a home. While they are experiencing homelessness, however, children desperately need to remain in school. School is one of the few stable, secure places in the lives of homeless children and youth -- a place where they can acquire the skills needed to help them escape poverty.

Community leaders working with parents and the school have a critical role to play in assisting parents of homeless children and youth, and providing the community support services that homeless families and youth must have to be successful in a school environment. Just as the school district must appoint a staff person as the liaison for homeless children, community leaders should also appoint someone from their ranks to be available to help homeless parents. In addition, community leaders should be build or sustain coalitions that provide families and parents with assistance such as shelters, clothing, health care, transportation, phones, job and employment help, household goods, books, and babysitting, and above all, moral support. Community leaders can do the following:

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 Know the provisions of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Education Act and know what the responsibility of the state, school district and schools are in assuring homeless children and youth a successful school experience.
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 Work with parent leaders and the school in advising homeless parents and students about their rights under the McKinney-Vento Act.
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 Become more aware of your language. Try to minimize language in your own and others’ vocabularies that refers to people experiencing homelessness in derogatory ways. By using expressions such as "people experiencing homelessness" rather than labels such as "bum," "transient," or even "the homeless," we remind ourselves that people who are in such situations are still people first–just people who are going through a difficult period in their lives. In a time when they may find it difficult to hold onto their sense of humanity, it is particularly important that we do not use language that further diminishes the dignity of people in homeless situations.
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 Educate your policy and political leaders. Organize site visits for political leaders and the media to visit local homeless programs to highlight ways that your community is successfully addressing the many problems associated with homelessness.
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 Involve the media. Call or write the media to inform them of your concern for people experiencing homelessness in your area, and the needs of homeless students. Write editorials when important issues related to homelessness arise in your community.
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 Build coalitions that advocate for homeless families, or get connected with an existing coalition. Volunteer at your local, state, or national housing or homeless advocacy coalition, or make a financial contributions to support their work.
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 Contact the school and homeless education liaison to ensure that they are making informed decisions about the kinds of activities and services they are making available to homeless children and families.
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 Collaborate with the school, homeless education liaison, homeless shelter, and other programs, organizations and agencies regularly to collect data and to determine the school district’s progress in meeting the needs of the homeless.
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 Help in identifying homeless youth, including unaccompanied youth, such as surveys or questionnaires that can be distributed district-wide.
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 Make sure that homeless parents are included in community and civic activities, and that they feel welcome in the community, as well as in the school.
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 Be aware of the special needs that homeless parents have, and be recognized by homeless parents as someone they can reach out to for help. Beyond services provided by the schools, coordinate with other community organizations such as health, social services, homeless shelters, and child-care providers in meeting the needs of homeless families.
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 Advocate for adequate funding at the local, state and national levels to assure adequate resources in providing education and other services for homeless children and families.
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 Work with children by assisting program directors who are coordinating events such as field trips, picnics or art workshops for children staying in homeless shelters.
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 Create and distribute outreach posters and materials describing the definitions of homeless and place them in shelters, campgrounds, motels, and public housing projects.
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 Work with your school district to ensure that they are considering the following practices:
 
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 Training all school enrollment staff, counselors, social workers and principals on the legal requirements regarding the immediate enrollment provisions of the McKinney Act.
 
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 Review all state and school district regulations and policies to ensure that they comply with the McKinney-Vento requirements.
 
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 Help parents and unaccompanied youth develop affidavits of residence or other forms that replace typical proof of residency in order to eliminate barriers or delay of enrollment.
 
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 Work with health and school officials in establishing school-based immunization clinics or other opportunities for on-site immunizations.
 
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 Help homeless families and youth understand the forms they receive from the school district, and assure that they are easily accessible.
 
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 Work with parents leaders and the school in developing clear and accessible forms for written explanations of decisions and the right to appeal.