Barriers in Educating Children from Homeless Shelters: Perspectives of School and Shelter Staff.

The article examines the barriers that impede school access of children who live in shelters from the perspectives of directors of homeless shelters and public school personnel. Families with children are among the fastest-growing homeless groups in the U.S. Studies of homeless families have advocated for attention to immediate needs such as increased housing, improved benefits, and economic security but have failed to emphasize the longer-term importance of adequate education for homeless children and youths. Some studies have reported that 43 percent of school-age homeless children were not attending school. Although some barriers that impede the access of children to public schools have been identified, little research has examined the barriers' relative significance. Of critical importance is the extent to which homeless shelters and local public schools cooperate and collaborate to provide education for homeless children. Although some practitioners work together, a unified, efficient effort is often difficult because of insufficient interagency communication and differences in philosophy.