The Need

The number of homeless families in San Diego continues to grow, and it is a very real crisis for our community. According to the 2011 San Diego County Office of Education report, 13,204 students in the county were defined as homeless this year.   It is common for students to have had gaps in school enrollment and high rates of absenteeism. About 40 percent of our county’s homeless population is made up of families. Three out of four children in those families are elementary-school aged.

Children who are hungry and lack health care, adequate clothing and other basics cannot focus on learning. Monarch provides the wraparound programs and services that homeless children need in order to achieve academic and personal success. Without intervention, homeless youth risk becoming chronically homeless adults. Education gives these kids hope for a brighter future.

More than 25% of Monarch’s students live in shelters and therefore receive social services. However, many of our students live in motels, single-room occupancy housing, double- or tripled-up in small apartments, garages, in cars, or on the streets. Since these students and their families are not in the shelter system, they do not receive supportive services. This creates numerous problems in terms of absenteeism, educational continuity and stability for our kids.

Many barriers lead to children and youth not attending school:  a lack of school records, permanent address, immunizations, and transportation. Once homeless children start missing school, they fall behind quickly and the motivation to return to school wanes.

Monarch School removes these barriers to education for homeless children by providing a quality education as well as the wraparound services that are essential in helping them break the cycle of homelessness.

For more information on homelessness and children’s education, please see the following links:

San Diego County Regional Taskforce on the Homeless
http://www.rtfhsd.org/

California Department of Education – Homeless Children and Youth Education
http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/hs/cy/

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
http://www.naehcy.org/

National Coalition for the Homeless – Education of Homeless Children and Youth
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/education.html

U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development – McKinney Vento Act
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/lawsandregs/mckv.cfm