This paper will be discussing The McKinney-Vento Act. It all began in the early 1980s, when the responses to widespread and increasing homelessness was dealt with on a local. In 1983, the first federal task force on homelessness was created to provide information to localities on how to obtain surplus federal property (Education for Homeless Youth, 2006). President Ronald Reagan was not in favor of creating homeless services and felt that the issue did not require federal intervention. Advocates around the country demanded that the federal government acknowledge homelessness as a national problem that required a national response.
After a lot of push for change, legislation was presented through The Urgent Relief for the Homeless Act. A large …show more content…
This does not include the families who did not claim themselves as homeless or who were not informed of the benefits. The federal government only had a budget of $61.6 million for the Education for Homeless Children and Youth. This ends up being less than $50 per child to help them be successful in school. The minimum state allocation given in 2014 was $150,000 (Education for Homeless Youth, 2006). The California Department of Education reported that in Santa Clara County there were over 4,500 students who received McKinney-Vento services during 2013-14 (Santa Clara County Office of Education, 2015). There have been many concerns about program cuts and eliminations. Funding has also steadily decreased. Studies found that grants have decreased by 28% since 1995 (McKinney-Vento Act, …show more content…
First, having a respectful partnership will enable us to work with the families. We can do this by empowering families and helping them have their voices heard. Educating parents on their rights and helping them advocate can result in them being allowed to stay at the school of their choice along with transportation when needed. It is also helpful to gain cultural knowledge about homeless youth. Many families become homeless for various reasons. It is important to understand their circumstances and the barriers they face. It is also useful to become familiar with various living situations in order to identify families that could benefit. For example, not all homeless people are actually living on the streets nor are they aware that they might qualify. Lastly, looking at our own positionality and being self-reflective will teach social workers to be mindful in the way you communicate. We also must recognize what is easy for us to do is not necessarily easy for someone else to do with all the barriers they
After a lot of push for change, legislation was presented through The Urgent Relief for the Homeless Act. A large …show more content…
This does not include the families who did not claim themselves as homeless or who were not informed of the benefits. The federal government only had a budget of $61.6 million for the Education for Homeless Children and Youth. This ends up being less than $50 per child to help them be successful in school. The minimum state allocation given in 2014 was $150,000 (Education for Homeless Youth, 2006). The California Department of Education reported that in Santa Clara County there were over 4,500 students who received McKinney-Vento services during 2013-14 (Santa Clara County Office of Education, 2015). There have been many concerns about program cuts and eliminations. Funding has also steadily decreased. Studies found that grants have decreased by 28% since 1995 (McKinney-Vento Act, …show more content…
First, having a respectful partnership will enable us to work with the families. We can do this by empowering families and helping them have their voices heard. Educating parents on their rights and helping them advocate can result in them being allowed to stay at the school of their choice along with transportation when needed. It is also helpful to gain cultural knowledge about homeless youth. Many families become homeless for various reasons. It is important to understand their circumstances and the barriers they face. It is also useful to become familiar with various living situations in order to identify families that could benefit. For example, not all homeless people are actually living on the streets nor are they aware that they might qualify. Lastly, looking at our own positionality and being self-reflective will teach social workers to be mindful in the way you communicate. We also must recognize what is easy for us to do is not necessarily easy for someone else to do with all the barriers they