[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 172 (Thursday, November 19, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11595-S11596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      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:

[[Page S11596]]

``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.
                                 ______