Sara, a single mother, was running low on options for who to go to for shelter; her boyfriend’s house is unstable and her parents’ house isn’t very welcoming. Her dad yells at her and her children for staying there.
She wants her children to have a good chance at life, but it’s getting hard for her kids to sleep and get to school on time.
This hypothetical situation is an example of how children in challenged households are affected by unstable housing, according to Project Rise. Project Rise is a program supported and created by Akron School District that works to spread awareness about Youth Homelessness and make sure homeless youth have the same access to K-12 education, according to the Akron Public Schools website.
During the 2022-23 school year, 254 students were identified as homeless in the Rockwood School District, according to SchoolHouse Connection, an organization that collects data from the national-level to district-level data.
Dr. Steve Hankins, Rockwood Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, provides support to all social workers in the district, stepping in to assist challenged families when necessary.
“It could happen in any building, anywhere. We have students and families that were in that situation and we currently do now,” Hankins said.
Hankins said it’s important that people know that they have resources, and that it’s not shameful to ask for help.
“Change your mindset of what homeless looks like. It could be anybody,” Hankins said.
Katie Waters, social worker, works with homeless students at MHS.
“We make sure that they continue to have access to their education,” Waters said.
Waters said the district provides transportation for at-risk students as well as resources for families.
The inability to fulfill basic needs affects students both socially and emotionally at school, Waters said.
Taylor Decker, social worker, focuses on students experiencing unstable housing.
“It’s important that we let kids come and try to be the best version of themselves that they can,” Decker said.
Students can get necessities like food, toiletries and clothes from the school by making an appointment with or emailing the social workers, Decker said.
Decker said part of her job is making help known to struggling students.
“Awareness is important so students know what is available to them,” Decker said.
Places for People, an organization that helps rehabilitate people who deal with mental health struggles and substance use disorders, often works with the unhoused community of St. Louis City, according to their website.
Catherine O’Sullivan, clinical program manager at Places for People, has worked with unhoused youth.
Normal parts of life like eating and going to the bathroom can’t always be accessible, O’Sullivan said.
“No person should have to do that and so it’s just awful,” O’Sullivan said.
Nationwide, 48% of identified homeless students were chronically absent in 2023, according to SchoolHouse Connection.
“A bus can’t pick you up in those types of situations, which guarantees making it impossible for them to go to school,” O’Sullivan said.
