Residents in our community are often surprised to learn about the number of families and students experiencing homelessness in Howard County each year. During the 2021-2022 school year, 641 children were identified as experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity in Howard County (HCPSS, 2023), putting them at significantly higher risk of education disruption, absenteeism, and dropout.
Unfortunately, these numbers have continued to increase in our community due to the pandemic, rising housing costs, and other economic hardships faced by families. Community organizations that support Howard County families in crisis are working around the clock to support families, but have experienced significant increases in demand for support and staffing shortages that have led to longer wait times for families which can have profound effects on students’ education engagement, attendance, and retention.
For students experiencing homelessness, schools can be a lifeline for their entire families. The identification of and connection to services for vulnerable students enrolled in HCPSS schools is a heightened priority to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to this community challenge, Bright Minds and HCPSS are working together to provide emergency targeted assistance to students experiencing homelessness with funding from the American Rescue Plan Homeless Children and Youth (ARP-HCY) that is intended to help identify homeless children, provide homeless children with wrap-around services to address the challenges of COVID-19, and enable homeless children to attend school and fully participate in school activities.
With this funding, HCPSS Pupil Personnel Workers (PPWs) are continuing to serve as “first responders” to identify students at risk of education disruption and identify community resources for homeless families. However, when there are delays with community agencies’ ability to support families, they have the added ability to provide targeted financial support to address urgent obstacles, stabilize families, and keep children in schools until they can secure ongoing support from community agencies. Bright Minds serves as the fiscal manager for this initiative and works closely with PPWs to administer financial support when, where, and how it is needed.
The specific needs of students experiencing homelessness are diverse and require an individualized and flexible response. For example, the school bus driver crisis has limited the availability of transportation for students with stable school assignments, but with home addresses in flux. Families supported by this effort are gaining access to emergency support for housing/shelter, utilities, and other needs that are important tethers to stabilize families and allow students to stay enrolled and engaged in school. Families are also able to receive critical transportation support, which continues to be an effective means of supporting stable school attendance. Taken together, this support means that students have a much better chance of completing high school and avoiding a myriad of risk factors, including limited employment prospects, low wages, and poverty.
Bright Minds’ support for students experiencing homelessness aligns with our organizational mission to ensure each child in Howard County has access to the education, resources, and opportunities they need to succeed in school and in life. Providing emergency support to families allows them to find short-term stability as they work with community agencies to engage in practices that will lead to long-term stability. Community agencies have greatly welcomed this support. Helping families find and sustain stability is essential to not only support a family’s wellbeing, but student engagement as well. This initiative strengthens the county Coordinated System of Homeless Services network and moves us closer to the county goal of ending homelessness in Howard County.
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Contributions to student Access to Learning may be made to Bright Minds via our website: DONATE, or by check to the Bright Minds Foundation, 10910 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21042. Please designate Access to Learning in the comment field or on the memo line.
About Bright Minds Foundation
Bright Minds Foundation is the Howard County public schools education foundation. We work to ensure each child in Howard County has access to the education, resources, and opportunities they need to succeed at school and in life. We do this by bringing together community support for programs and initiatives that increase education access, equity, and innovation. Bright Minds programs respond to the urgent and ongoing needs of children in four areas: digital inclusion, literacy & kindergarten readiness, college access, and teacher support & classroom innovation. To learn more and contribute, please visit Bright Minds website.
