Can a child’s living situation affect his success in school?  According to Nita Elks, Rapides Parish School System’s Homeless Liaison, where and how a child lives can cause him to fall behind in school.  That is why the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Law exists to provide optimal opportunities to children and youth who are experiencing homelessness.  How many children are affected by homelessness?  In the nation, there are about 1.2 million and in Louisiana, there are about 21,000.  Each year, Mrs. Elks and 2 co-workers (Helen Hudson and Sharon Johnson) help about 900 children and youth who are temporarily experiencing homelessness in Rapides Parish.  Because of the McKinney-Vento Law, these children have the right to a free, appropriate education- and these ladies knock down barriers to ensure the children’s success in school.

 Which children are considered to be “homeless?”  When a life-changing event happens to a family, it often causes the family to have to leave their home.  I might be due to job loss, serious illness or death of a provider, domestic violence, divorce, fire, natural disaster, mortgage foreclosure, eviction, or numerous other things that could cause a family to be in crisis.  Mrs. Elks says that when families are force to leave their homes, they often move in with others; (i.e., relatives, friends, or just someone with a kind heart who takes them in).  These families are considered to be “doubled-up” and are often referred to as the “Hidden Homeless.”  This kind of living situation is often crowded and noisy, offering little privacy.  The whole displaced family may share one bedroom, with children sleeping on the floor.

 Some homeless families find temporary shelter in a motel or find beds in a shelter.  Others may live in a tent or small camper trailer, and some may be forced to sleep in a car or abandoned building.  No matter where the child is sleeping, Mrs. Elks tries to keep him in school every day. It is often the most stable part of a homeless child’s life.