Children and Youth
Experiencing Homelessness
Presented by:
Pam Woods
District Homeless Education Liaison
Volusia County Schools
Homeless Definition
Students lack a
fixed, regular,
and adequate
night-time
residence
Housing Instability
 Think of homelessness in terms of
housing instability
 Families may have housing for a period
of time and then lose it
 Housing Instability affects academic
performance
 These children and youth typically
perform below grade level
Rights of Homeless Children and
Youth
 Enroll in school without having a permanent
address
 Enroll and attend school while arranging for
required school records or documents
 Remain in the school attended before becoming
homeless (called school of origin)
 Attend school and participate in school programs
with students who are not homeless
 Receive special programs and services for which
they are eligible
 Receive assistance with transportation to school
Barriers to Learning
 May not know where they will be from
day to day
 Lack adequate school supplies
 Have no place to study or do projects
 Experience multiple school
placements
School Stability Critical to
Educational Success
 Students who switch schools frequently score lower
on standardized tests
 Mobility also hurts non-mobile students
 It takes children 4-6 months to recover academically
after changing schools
 Students suffer psychologically, socially, and
academically from high mobility and are less likely
to participate in activities
NUMBER OF SCHOOL CHILDREN REPORTED
HOMELESS IN VOLUSIA COUNTY
2005-2011
2500
1975
1990
1884
NUMBER OF CHILDREN
2000
1500
1889
2016
1677
1125
1000
500
0
2005
2006
2007
2008
YEAR
2009
2010
2011
Focus of Volusia County Schools
 Attendance
 Academic
achievement
 School stability
 Services
 Community
Linkages
For more information
Pam Woods
District Homeless Education Liaison
Volusia County Schools
pjwoods@volusia.k12.fl.us
(386) 255-6475 ext. 38357 or 50395