Poverty and Homelessness in America

Did you know that the most prosperous developed country has twice as many homeless children as any other developed country? Did you know that country is America? 

Homelessness is on the rise and homeless families are rapidly becoming the norm. 

This poses several problems for America's youth. 

Eldest children of homeless and poverty afflicted families find themselves forced to grow up and take on the role of caregiver. This can mean they are losing sleep and missing meals as sacrifices for their siblings. They often work, clean, launder, and cook, leaving little time for homework and adding stress. While one girl may be thinking about which pants would look best with her new top, this girl is thinking about her empty stomach, and wondering how to fill her little siblings' plates. Because healthy food is more expensive than fatty, processed foods, health problems are common among poor and homeless children. Emotional and mental health also deteriorates as children battle feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and abandonment. 

As a teacher, I will have children who cannot focus because the rumble in their stomach is distracting, or because their mother never came home last night, or they had spent the weekend in a homeless shelter, if they were so lucky. 

I may have a new student who has been relocated for the third time that year. 

How do I address these issues? 

Establishing a relationship with my students and their families is essential to understanding their behavior. For example, in a 1st grade classroom I noticed one of the students was extremely needy. I later learned that she was the middle child in a family of six. Another child was rarely bathed and had a learning disability. His mother was incarcerated, his father was absent, and he lived with his physically handicapped grandmother. 

As a teacher, it is important I know of organizations within my community that help poor families. Perhaps an organization exists that would pair an employee or volunteer with that family to help ensure the child is bathed, fed, and helped with homework every night. Save the Children helps find organizations in the community that help poor families. Understanding rules and procedures for filing reports of suspected abuse/neglect is also important, as well as not jumping to conclusions.