Homeless Children's Awareness Week

Pennsylvania will be celebrating Homeless Children’s Awareness Week October 13th – 19th, bringing attention to the growing problems and issues children experiencing homelessness face throughout the Commonwealth and across the nation.  I recently introduced a Resolution, Senate Resolution 221 (SR 221), in the Senate recognizing this special week in hopes that many residents and groups will participate in the activities planned or hold events of their own to raise awareness about the needs and challenges facing these children.  

The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty estimates as many as two million people will experience homelessness this year, and about half of them will include children.  In fact, children are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population.  Children are considered homeless if they lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence according to the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.  

Children of all ages are negatively impacted by homelessness in the areas of physical health, emotional and behavioral development, and academic success.   Obstacles like frequent moves disrupt homeless children’s education, often setting them back academically three to six months as well as making these students twice as likely to repeat a grade and 60 percent more likely to drop out of school. 

Children experiencing homelessness is a problem in the Commonwealth.  During the 2011-12 school year, over 19,000 school age children and youth were reported as experiencing homelessness which made up about 1 percent of the total Pennsylvania public school enrollment population for that year.

For over a decade, the Homeless Children's Education Fund (HCEF) has been working to ensure that children facing homelessness have access to the same educational opportunities as other kids, in an effort to combat these statistics. 

This year HCEF will hold its third annual Homeless Children’s Awareness Week in Pittsburgh. 

Many events will take place including an intimate storytelling event, a performance art installation, and a 5K and 10K run/walk for homeless children in North Park.  For more information about the schedule of events, please visit http://www.homelessfund.org/events.html.

I hope you will use this opportunity by joining in the activities planned by HCEF and look for ways you can help children experiencing homelessness in the Commonwealth.