What do you see as being the solution to this awful problem?
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4 comments:
That article was really interesting, but sad. I really had no idea that there were that many homeless children. I knew it was a problem, but when they say "1 in 50," it's just really crazy. I was thinking about it like, that would be like if 5 girls at ICA were homeless. I thought that for sure this problem would be because of the bad economy, but then I read that these numbers were between 2005 and 2006, when the economy was better (although there was Hurricane Katrina, which was probably a factor). The numbers of homeless children will undoubtedly go up because of the economy and the foreclosure problems.
Unfortunately, poverty causes a lot of problems for the kids involved. The article said that a lot of homeless children have witnessed violence, which could cause anxiety and depression, which could lead to decreased performance in school. Also, they tend to move a lot, which makes the academic problems even worse. It also says that homeless children are more likely to drop out of school, making college a relative impossibility. Unfortunately, poverty tends to run in cycles, as demonstrated by the discussion in this article. For a lot of children who are born into poverty, it is hard to come out of it because of the many obstacles they face in their lives.
I was trying to think of a solution to this problem, but it's really hard. I might sound like a communist for saying this, but I wish the government could just give all the homeless people homes. That obviously wouldn't work, though. A lot of homeless people live in shelters, but in states like Massachusetts, it might not be enough to help everybody, and in the end, it doesn't make the problem go away; it's just a temporary solution. More shelters should be built to deal with the space issue, though. I don't know if they do this already, but maybe in the shelters, counseling should be provided to help people find jobs, and somebody could work with the people to help them find a permanent home. Also, if there isn't already, there should be counseling for the children to help them deal with the hardships they have faced. I don't know how effective this would be, but to me, it seems like it would help. Maybe more low-income housing too?
This article was really interesting. A lot of the time when I think of people who are homeless I think of older men and women who don't have families. Being a homeless student would greatly affect his or her ability to complete their homework. Not having a stable living situation can distract a student from their school work, as does the constant worry and fear that comes with being homeless. Having to switch schools a lot will cause the students to fall behind, and hinder the students chances of completing their education. I think it's important to create homeless shelters for teens, especially since teenagers tend to deny that they are homeless and try to live independently or with friends. I'm happy that Obama's stimulus package devotes $1.5 billion to homelessness prevention programs, and that the programs will also provide short-term rental and mortgage assistance, as well as security deposits and utility bills. I think these programs will really help combat the issue of homelessness in our country.
This is a horrible issue that I wish the United States could deal with more effectively. Homelessness impacts a child performance in school so much. They have to move from shelter to shelter or might not even be able to find a place to stay. Having no secure shelter means that they have to keep all their belongings with them and they probably don't have places to keep their school books or money to buy basic supplies. They also will not receive the proper nutrients if they get the chance to eat at all because eating healthy means spending more money. I don't think that the government as a whole can find a sure fire way to deal with this problem. I think they need to get a lot of people involved and devote many resources to effectively deal with this issue. Also, kids should be more aware of the programs available to them.
Homelessness would affect a child's ability to do homework becuase these children, most likely, do not have access to the resources neccessary to complete assignments (ex: Computer). If a student is homeless the chances that they have medical insurance are slim to numb. Without insurance it is extremely difficult to get check ups becuase you are at the will of free clinics and they have limited resources/supplies. These students will also be competing with a number of other people for time in the clinic. Eating regular meals will also be a problem becuase homeless students must attend school, therefore, not being able to hold down a job. If they are underage then it is likely they are homeless because their parents do not have jobs. Without a steady income the kids and their families will be unable to provide regular meals. If a kid does not have a regular address or the resources neccessary to even complete homework assignments going to college must seem daunting. They might not have the grades, but those who do will have problems just applying. All colleges ask for a phone number and address in which you can be reached. If an individual is homeless then they do not have a permanent address or telephone. Paying for college will be an even greater challenge becuase few colleges fully honor your EFC. Currently, I think that nothing can be done to fully remedy this problem but we must keep pushing programs that help these members of today's youth and invest more money into these programs.
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