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The Beam Monthly News Articles:
May 2010
Promote, Register, Propose for NAEHCY's 2010 Conference
Rounding Up Solutions: Educating ALL Our Children and Youth, will be held in Houston, Texas, November 6-9, 2010 at the Houston Intercontinental in the Galleria District. All conference information can be found on the conference web site.
Celebrating a New Collaboration on Homelessness
The Congressional Caucus on Homelessness celebrated its inauguration on May 4, 2010. Co-Founders and Co-Chairs of the caucus are U.S. Representatives Judy Biggert (R-IL), Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Geoff Davis (R-KY). The inaugural event featured speeches by Barbara Duffield, NAEHCY’s Policy Director and other national homeless advocates. The caucus was formed in response to increasing demands across homeless systems brought on by the economic downturn that began in 2007, particularly alarming numbers of homeless children and youth reported by in public schools during the 2008-2009 school year.
Read more about the caucus and Duffield’s statement.
April 2010
NAEHCY-First Focus Survey on Homeless Education Funding: Sneak Peek
NAEHCY and First Focus would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who filled out the 2010 homeless education survey! We had a wonderful response rate, with over 2,200 local school districts from 47 states responding. We are still in the process of analyzing the data, but two preliminary findings stand out: 1) ARRA funds more than doubled the number of school districts that were able to provide direct services to homeless children and youth through McKinney-Vento funding; and 2) 39% of all local school districts that responded to the survey had enrolled more homeless students by March 5 of the current school year than the entire 2008-2009 school year.
The information provided by the surveys already has been helpful in our advocacy efforts, and will continue to help inform our work on appropriations and reauthorization in the future months. NAEHCY and First Focus will issue a written brief summarizing the results by early May. All respondents who indicated that they would like to be sent a copy of the results will receive the brief via email. We will make an announcement on our web site when it is published.
Again, we thank you for taking the time from your busy days to complete the survey!
Congressional Letter Generates Support for Homeless Education Funding
A popular method for Members of Congress to express support for particular federal programs is to circulate “Dear Colleague” appropriations sign-on letters asking their fellow Members of Congress to join them in recommending a funding level for the programs. On March 17, U.S. Representatives Judy Biggert (R-IL) and Danny Davis (D- IL) circulated a “Dear Colleague” letter urging the House Appropriations Committee to provide $140 million in FY2011 funding for the Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program and $165 million in FY2011 funding for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) program. For a number of reasons, the letter was not circulated until three days before the deadline for submission. It just so happened that those three days were right in the middle of the historic health care vote! Many liaisons and advocates struggled to get a free phone line, and many Congressional offices were simply overwhelmed with calls. Still, thanks to the grassroots efforts of child and youth advocates, the letter generated support from the additional following U.S. Representatives: Todd Platts (R-PA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Marcia Fudge (D-OH), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-FL), John Yarmuth (D-KY), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Jim McDermott (D-WA), and Luis Guiterrez (D-IL).
While this may not seem like a large number of U.S. Representatives, all signs of support for homeless child and youth programs are critical, especially in this tense budget climate. If your member of Congress is not listed here, it does not mean that he or she cannot show support for the program in other ways. In addition, NAEHCY hopes that a similar letter will be circulated in the U.S. Senate soon. We will issue an alert if a Senate letter is circulated, so that you may seek your Senators’ support.
To stay up-to-date on legislative issues, please email Barbara Duffield to be added to our legislative list.
NAEHCY's 2010 Conference Goes Live!
Rounding Up Solutions: Educating ALL Our Children and Youth , will be held in Houston, Texas, November 6-9, 2010 at the Houston Intercontinental in the Galleria District. This is the only national conference dedicated to improving the wellbeing of homeless children and youth and will offer approximately 75 concurrent sessions on early childhood educational opportunities, services for unaccompanied youth, identification of students, and program planning and development.
Registration is now open for the 22nd Annual NAEHCY Conference. Registration rates, schedules, preconference session descriptions, and a link to the registration site are available on the conference web site. Register early to be sure you can attend this unique professional development event.
Interested in exhibiting? This year, exhibitors also sign up through the attendee registration system linked above. We hope to have you share your materials, best practices, resources and free gifts with conference attendees! There is no deadline, but be sure to register before space fills up! Further instructions are offered online.
NAEHCY is currently accepting proposals to present. We are seeking education and community-based presenters who represent diverse backgrounds, roles, responsibilities, and experiences in serving homeless children and youth. We are interested in proposals that represent rural and suburban, as well as urban areas. Instructions for using the new online system and details about proposal requirements can be found here. The deadline for submissions is June 7, 2010.
The conference planning team is busy rounding up resources to make this the best NAEHCY conference ever. Keep watching for details on breakout sessions, service projects, travel, speakers, and so much more.
Making Homelessness Count... in 1100 Miles and Three Pairs of Shoes
David Ashby, a 14-year-old from College Park, Florida, near Orlando, walked from his home to Washington, DC in the summer 2009, to raise awareness about the plight of homeless children and youth. Ashby had just completed the academic year at Lee Middle School, earning recognition as the school’s "Dreamer and Doer" by Walt Disney World. Each year the tourism and amusement company honors students across Florida for "outstanding character and achievement."
 Read the full article here...
Sarah Benjamin Selected for ZERO TO THREE Fellowship
In November 2009, ZERO TO THREE, the National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families, announced that Sarah Benjamin, Homeless Education Liaison for the Eastern Suffolk Board of Cooperative Educational Services and Teacher Coordinator of the of the Mobile Outreach Parent Child Home Program, was selected to participate in the Leaders for the 21st Century Fellowship program. Sarah is an active member of NAEHCY who was awarded NAEHCY’s Outstanding Educator Working in a Program in 2008. She is a regular presenter at NAEHCY annual conferences and contributes BEAM articles to help educate others about best practices in early childhood education.
During the two-year Fellowship, Sarah will capture stories of families who struggle with issues of poverty, including homelessness, isolation and fragmentation from mainstream society. By highlighting the narrative of their lives, she hopes to have an impact on the hearts and minds of policymakers in positions to help reverse trends that are harming the lives of young children.
Good Search/Good Shop Toolbar: Support NAEHCY With Every Click
Download the new NAEHCY toolbar at Good Search to support NAEHCY’s work. Once added to your IE or Firefox browser, each time you search online or shop at more than 1,300 stores - from Amazon to Zazzle - a percentage of your purchase will automatically be donated to NAEHCY. Use the coupon item in the toolbar to save money too! And you can track your contributions through the donation feature. On the Good Search page, fill NAEHCY into the “Who do you search for?” space and Good Search does the rest! Learn more about downloading the toolbar on that same page. If you already use Good Search and Good Shop, thank you for your support!
Want to know about more ways to show your support for NAEHCY? Get the NAEHCY T-shirt.
May 6, 2010 is National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day
This day was created by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 2005. Join the celebration of positive youth development, resilience, recovery, and the transformation of mental health services delivery for children and youth with serious mental health needs and their families. This national day focuses attention on ways that children with mental health needs thrive at home, at school, and in the community. Learn more here.
March 2010
The Homelessness Resource Center: Your Source for Knowledge
Homeless services providers often feel they are working in isolation, independently creating the knowledge and tools they need to serve their clients. They are seeking resources and training opportunities to help better serve individuals, families, and children who are homeless. The Homelessness Resource Center (HRC) is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) Homeless Programs Branch within the Division of Services and Systems Improvement, Center for Mental Health Services. HRC is working to meet these needs by hosting an interactive online community of providers, consumers, policymakers, researchers, and public agencies at federal, state, and local levels. HRC shares state-of-the art knowledge and promising practices to prevent and end homelessness through free training opportunities, webcasts, distance learning, online networking, and knowledge products.
Read the full article here...
State and Local McKinney-Vento Personnel Offer Perspectives on Reauthorization
NAEHCY's 21st Annual Conference featured a stop on The U.S Department of Education’s (ED) Listening and Learning Tour, facilitated by Brad Jupp, Senior Program Advisor on Teacher Effectiveness and Quality in the Office of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. State Coordinators and Local Homeless Education Liaisons from around the country voiced their concerns about challenges faced by homeless education programs in implementing the McKinney-Vento Act. Mr. Jupp stated that ED understood that what happens outside Washington, DC, and in the field “must inform the policy debate before going into the heavy work of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).”
Read the full article here...
Summer Nutrition Fills Needed Gaps for Homeless Children and Youth
In 2009, 19.4 million students accessed the federal free or reduced priced meal program in their schools, which is available to low income families and youth; but only 2.23 million students accessed summer meal programs in that same year. Since the economic downturn began in 2007, over 2 million more students have qualified for free and reduced meals during the school year. Summer Food Service Programs help to fill a necessary gap in nutrition in the academic calendar. In 2009, 34,700 meal sites were available for the summer with 132.4 million meals served, numbers that have been increasing drastically. Even with these increases, millions of students are not able to access nutritious meals during time off from school.
Read the full article here...
USICH Announces Website for Stakeholder Input on Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness
The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) has launched a new interactive website called USICH Preventing and Ending Homelessness as one element of the transparent process of developing the Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. The HEARTH Act called for USICH to deliver a strategic plan to Congress no later than May 20 ,2010. On this site, users can contribute their best practices and ideas for ending homelessness, and vote on the ideas provided by others. USICH will review the contributions and incorporate strategies into the federal plan based on the ideas that receive the best feedback. The site is open for public comment until March 15, 2010, so please respond quickly.
Update: US Interagency Council on Homelessness Federal Strategic Plan to End Homelessness
As NAEHCY reported last month, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) must develop a federal strategic plan to end homelessness by May 2010. USICH is seeking the direct involvement of educators in developing the plan and has invited state homeless education coordinators to regional meetings that are occurring throughout February and March. Local liaisons also are encouraged to participate in the regional stakeholder forums. For details about these forums, please visit the USICH website. USICH is also accepting input online at http://fsp.uservoice.com/ until March 15, 2010.
In addition, NAEHCY’s Policy Director, Barbara Duffield, participated in USICH’s expert panel before the Families with Children Workgroup; and NAEHCY member Kathi Sheffel, Local Homeless Education Liaison for Fairfax County Public Schools, participated in the expert panel for the Youth Workgroup. Read Kathi’s comments on the Youth workgroup and NAEHCY’s comments for the Families with Children workgroup at http://www.naehcy.org/usich_mar_2010.html.
NAEHCY Advocates for National Guidelines for Transportation under McKinney-Vento
The National Congress on School Transportation (NCST) is in the process of revising its “National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures.” Many states adopt theses standards directly into rule or regulations. Although the current version of the specifications and procedures do not reference the McKinney-Vento Act’s transportation requirements, state pupil transportation directors will consider an amendment at their May 2010 meeting. This amendment would summarize the McKinney-Vento Act’s transportation requirements and would include guidelines for good practice.
Adding pupil transportation guidelines for students experiencing homelessness could be a powerful tool in raising awareness and improving state and local implementation. NAEHCY will advocate for the McKinney-Vento amendment.
If you would like to contact your state pupil transportation director about the amendment, contact Barbara Duffield, NAEHCY Policy Director, at bduffield@naehcy.org for tools and talking points.
Special thanks to NAEHCY award-winner Allan Jones, Pupil Transportation Director of Washington State, for encouraging NAEHCY's involvement in this effort.
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