Monday, February 6, 2012

TLSS:homelessness

draft press release on homelessness on working with other community agencies
Biancheria: approximately 2200 students
I'm going to mention again that we count, as required, all students in foster or community care as homeless students.
working on a community effort

Monfredo: few can understand the changes that have happened in our schools
impacts of poverty on children and their education
McKinney-Vento, which requires services, but does not, in the largest part, pay for it
suggests a letter to Congressman McGovern to encourage greater funding
"not a school department issue, a city issue"
O'Connell mentions the effort to review policies that impact homeless children, look at our finances with regard to homeless children, and work with others around advocacy
opens the floor to comments
Community Action Council: taking time to find out that youth are homeless
some funding for young people
would be very interested in ages of homeless children and if it raises their rate of dropout
only anti-poverty agency in the city; welcome to refer families
regularly referring families with needs to many United Way funded agencies
address the needs for a wide variety of services

O'Connell: more than we can or should be doing to refer students
Garvin suggests a regular item to remind people of the services available
Note that the backup has an extensive list of agencies and services available

Biancheria: filed the item to begin the discussion
February 7, report at North High School
community decision for the preventative piece
Do we require that the information we have be shared with teachers, guidance counselors, others?
Adjustment counselors and others...schools have them
Biancheria asks that this information be included in principals' notebooks
"it's not something we can discuss tonight and not look at any longer"

a little book that has the list of resources

Monfredo: many, many parents fall between the cracks: could we get these books to all the churches
"not sure all of the pastors even know what's available"
asks if there's even a council on homelessness
Garvin comments that sometimes it focuses more on chronic homelessness than on family homelessness
Level 4 schools: 11 Essential Conditions: getting community involved of the needs of the families beyond academics
"councils of support" to bring attention to services available to students (per Governor's budget)
Monfredo: is there a resource center? published by newspaper
collection of donation items
could colleges help with mentoring homeless students?
Pointing out that many students do not self-disclose their living situation; very confidential information
"need to be mindful of that"
to ask families what they need

Mulqueen suggests publishing list to principals via intranet
also on school website

community member asks if we have demographic information around which kids are homeless
Mulqueen notes that homelessness affects families





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