Why does a Homeless Education Network matter? Consider these facts.

• On any given day 500-600 children are receiving homelessness services in Allegheny County; their average age is 7.8 years old.
• The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with some 17,000 enumerated, ranks 6th nationwide in the number of children and youth identified as homeless.
• Research indicates that by the age of three, trends in the amount of talk, vocabulary growth, and style of interaction are well established and portend widening gaps to come between poor and middle class children.
• Scholars find that the return to society ranges from $3 to almost $17 for every dollar invested in early childhood programming among the poor and disadvantaged.
• Those who are from low income backgrounds and participate in well-conceived academic and social programming during early childhood years are significantly less likely to commit crimes and/or be incarcerated as adults.

Key steps in building this Network include:

• identifying the existing educational and social services in the region that can be of benefit to students who are homeless: With the assistance of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, and local school districts, this "mapping of services" helps inform Homeless Children's Programs (HCPs) and schools about existing services in their neighborhoods and in the wider region. This effort will ensure that students who are homeless will have access to the best possible resources in their communities. The Network will help those who serve these students to avoid the unnecessary replication of services and have a greater impact on the education of this vulnerable population.
• disseminating information about services to families, Homeless Children's Programs, and schools: In that many homeless families and even the HCPs that serve them are often socially isolated from their neighborhoods' residents and organizations, it is necessary to follow up on the identification of services with an organized and concerted effort to inform these families, educators, and advocates about their opportunities. HCEF will support a multifaceted approach to making these opportunities known and accessible. The objective is to create, foster, and nurture social capital within homeless agencies.
• creating a functional web of communication within and between service providers: Given its inter-organizational, boundary-spanning expertise in the Pittsburgh area since its founding in 1999, HCEF is uniquely positioned to serve as the key connector of those who can meet homeless students' educational needs. HCEF will coordinate regular and purposeful dialogue between individuals and institutions so that the Homeless Education Network will flourish among like-minded partners who are committed and accountable to serving students who are homeless.

Ultimately, this Network will help build capacity within HCPs, within neighborhoods, and within the greater region. Broadly, by the summer of 2011, local school districts, community organizations, and federal, state, and county agencies will assume the major responsibility for sustaining the Homeless Education Network. The Network will present an array of services, including proven after-school, weekend, and summer educational programming for children living in HCPs. Every school-aged homeless child will have opportunities for appropriate and adequate instruction and support equal to that of their peers.

Specifically, HCEF seeks the development of a coherent and sustainable Network that will make possible:

• thorough assessment of each child’s gifts, talents, and educational needs at intake (Individual Support Plans)
• pedagogical support for teachers, tutors, and other educational specialists
• a fostering of open communication between school districts and homeless shelters
• adequate transportation to and from school and after-school activities
• better connections between homeless students and after-school tutoring and extracurricular activities
• the creation and maintenance of partnerships with organizations that can be of benefit to homeless children"
• a shift of financial responsibility to local school districts, community organizations, and federal, state, and county agencies
• advocacy for homeless children and youth living in Allegheny County, and work to ensure the continuing reauthorization of the McKinney-Vento Act.

HCEF has since 1999 made a notable impact in Western Pennsylvania and beyond. The development of the Homeless Education Network – a Network that will increase organizations' internal capabilities and build bridges to other community resources – will certainly increase its positive impact upon student academic performance. In the years ahead the benefits of the Network will ultimately spread to schools, HCPs, the juvenile justice system, and indeed the wider region.

(8/15/09)

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