The data released by California Department of Education shows that the schools have improved in identifying the homeless children. However, 2700 out of a total of 10,500 district schools show that the number of homeless children studying in their schools is nil. This means that most, if not all, of these twenty seven hundred schools have failed to recognize and identify the homeless students they accommodate, which consequently means those students are deprived of the benefits that are allotted to the families of the homeless children and the students themselves.
In the year 2014-21015, 37% schools reported that the number of homeless children studying in their schools was zero whereas in 20115-16, only 30% reported such figures. Looking at it positively, it appears that the schools are now more efficiently identifying the homeless children, but the fact 30% schools still haven’t reported any homeless children, means there is still room for improvement. Homeless school children not only need help ineducation but also economically and socially like.
The State is providing funds to the public schools to help the homeless children by providing them quality education, safe environment, healthy food and necessary supplies. But these resources can only be distributed to the people who are entitled to receiving these benefits, if they can be identified appropriately. Schools usually give out questionnaires to gather information on which of the families are homeless and need help so that they can be reached out and adjusted accordingly. But families tend to give out wrong information to avoid the humiliation caused being labelled as homeless. Schools have private gains in identifying and listing the homeless children as they are then granted extra funds to help those who are underprivileged.
Some schools go out of their way to accommodate and help these students and their families. But the number of families and students hiding their status due to the social stigmas attached homelessness seems to exist consistently. Thousands of students drop out of school just to avoid be identified as homeless, which another one of the major problems faced by the district schools.
The management of the public schools says that they have resources to provide basic help and relief to these students and their families but the uncooperative attitude displayed by such families hinders them from doing so and giving out the fair of the funds that are specifically allotted to help them.