Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - November 19, 2009)

By Mrs. MURRAY (for herself and Mr. Franken):

S. 2800. A bill to amend subtitle B of title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to provide education for homeless children and youths, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I rise today to talk about legislation that I introduced with Senator Franken today that is essential to the academic success of millions of vulnerable children and youth.

The Educational Success for Children and Youth Without Homes Act responds to the growing crisis of homelessness in our Nation. The legislation will help homeless children and youth thrive in school, despite the constant moves, trauma, and loss associated with homelessness.

This legislation is needed now more than ever. The economic downturn and foreclosure crisis have had a significant impact on homelessness. Public schools reported a 17-percent increase in the number of homeless students in 2007. In Washington State, the number of homeless students has increased dramatically. For example, the number of homeless students enrolled in Whatcom County schools increased by 66 percent over the past 2 years; in Evergreen Public Schools, there has been a 56-percent increase over the past 2 years. This Fall, many schools face a veritable tidal wave of homelessness. Over one million children and youth are now homeless in our Nation.

The recession has contributed to homelessness among two groups of students: children who are homeless with their families, and youth who are homeless on their own. This reality was brought starkly to light in the recent New York Times series about runaway and homeless youth. The series found a 40-percent increase in the number of homeless youth living on their own last year, more than double the number in 2003. It concluded that ``Foreclosures, layoffs, rising food and fuel prices and inadequate supplies of low-cost housing have stretched families to the extreme, and those pressures have trickled down to teenagers and preteens.''

School offers homeless children and youth structure, normalcy, support, and hope--it is a place where they can obtain the skills that they will need to avoid poverty and homelessness as adults. Yet these students face great educational challenges. High mobility, precarious living conditions, and severe poverty combine to create major barriers to school enrollment and regular attendance. Many homeless children and youth lack basic supplies and a reasonable environment where they can do homework. As a result of their circumstances, homeless students often perform below their peers in math and reading and are more likely to be held back.

We must do more to assist these students so they do not continue to be left behind. The Educational Success for Children and Youth Without Homes Act of 2009 would do just that. The bill amends the McKinney-Vento Act's Education for Homeless Children and Youth program. It makes a strong law even stronger by reinforcing and expanding the law's key provisions: school stability, enrollment, and support for academic achievement.

This legislation will enhance the right of homeless children to stay in the same school, so that children who have lost their homes do not also lose their schools. It will assist schools in meeting the challenges of transporting homeless students by increasing the authorized funding level and allowing other Federal funds for educating low-income students to be used for homeless transportation. When staying in the same school is not possible, or not in a child's best interest, the legislation will help the student make a seamless transition to a new school.

This bill will help students like Kyle, a 4th-grade student in Spokane. Due to the instability of homelessness, Kyle moved around with his family most of his life. In fact, he moved eleven times. There were large gaps where he had not gone to school at all, because of his family's frequent moves. Yet although Kyle moved eleven times, the homeless education program in Spokane was able to keep him stable in one school. Because he had the opportunity to attend one school consistently, the school district was able to determine that his academic and behavioral struggles were caused by more than just homelessness: a special education evaluation revealed that he was nearly deaf in both ears. He now has hearing aids in both ears and told his teacher:

``I can hear now, and I am being good. I want to be a crossing guard.''

Yet many more children like Kyle are not receiving the assistance they need due to lack of funding. In fact, only 9 percent of school districts are able to receive funding through the McKinney-Vento program currently. This legislation would increase the authorized funding level, so that more school districts can participate in the homeless education program and reach more children and youth experiencing homelessness.

One of the most successful features of the McKinney-Vento program is the requirement for every school district to designate a liaison for homeless children and youth. Liaisons identify homeless students, ensure their enrollment and attendance, and connect them to community resources. Liaisons are the backbone of this program, the unsung heroes who have become a lifeline for children and youth in crisis. Yet most liaisons do not have the capacity to carry out their required duties; they wear many hats and struggle to meet the growing demands of this population. As a result, too many homeless children and youth are falling through the cracks and missing out on school. The Educational Success for Children and Youth Without Homes Act will strengthen the critical position of homeless liaison by ensuring that liaisons have the time, resources, and training to fulfill their mandated duties.

The Educational Success for Children and Youth Without Homes Act also recognizes the unique needs of certain groups of homeless children: preschool-aged homeless children, and unaccompanied homeless youth.

Young children who are homeless have higher rates of developmental delays and other problems that set them back as they start out life, yet they face numerous barriers to participating in early childhood programs. They miss out on services that can mitigate the harmful effect of homelessness on their development. This legislation will increase homeless children's participation in preschool programs by requiring public preschool programs to identify and prioritize homeless children for enrollment, and to develop the capacity to serve all identified homeless children.

Unaccompanied homeless youth struggle to go to school without the basic necessities of life or a parent to guide them. We must assist unaccompanied homeless youth to overcome the unique educational challenges related to being without a home and without a parent or guardian. This legislation will help ensure that unaccompanied homeless youth have the supports necessary to stay in school, graduate with their peers, and move on to a brighter future.

The history of litigation under the McKinney-Vento Act makes clear that we must do a better job helping educators learn about homelessness and support them in implementing the law. To this end, the legislation provides funding for technical assistance and training, and requires participation in professional development activities.

I am pleased to be joined by Senator Franken in cosponsoring this legislation to assist homeless students, and I am honored to cosponsor Senator Franken's legislation, the Fostering Success in Education Act, to assist students who are in foster care. These bills recognize the similarities, and the differences, between students who are homeless and those who are in foster care. It is our intention to work with our Senate colleagues to ensure that children and youth who are currently served through the McKinney-Vento Act under the category of ``awaiting foster care placement'' will be transitioned to the Fostering Success in Education program, so that their unique needs may be best met.

As we look forward to the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, we must recognize that children who do not know where they will sleep at night, or where their next meal will come from, face far greater challenges than simply remembering to do their homework. We must acknowledge that children who bounce between schools with each change of residence have little hope of taking advantage of even the best school programs. The most qualified teacher, or the most exceptional math or reading program, will not benefit children who are not enrolled in school, not attending regularly, and not assisted to overcome the barriers caused by homelessness. The Educational Success for Children and Youth Without Homes Act builds upon the proven successes of the McKinney-Vento Act's Education of Homeless Children and Youth program, while addressing remaining challenges. It is critical legislation that will help ensure that the homeless children of today do not become the homeless adults of tomorrow.

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