Gearing Up For The New School Year 

The new school year has officially begun! Across the country, many students have already gone on their back-to-school shopping trips, selecting shiny new supplies and the coolest new clothes. On their first day, they’ll proudly display their crisp backpacks and fresh gel pens. However, for a child experiencing homelessness, this highly anticipated first day back to school can become a day filled with anxiety and stress. 

According to the CDC, a child experiencing homelessness is 134% more likely to receive poor grades in school, and 128% more likely to experience bullying, compared to a child with stable housing. With this in mind, HFH does everything in its power to best prepare the youth in our programs with everything they need to achieve academic success.  

With the generous contributions of Empower4Life, an organization of teachers coming together to support the community, HFH hosted a Back to School Bash for the youth in our programs. The kids enjoyed themed refreshments, received new backpacks stuffed with school supplies, and discussed opportunities for after-school programming they would like implemented for the upcoming school year. Giving children the chance to have a say in what types of programs they would like to see keeps them engaged in their own academic journeys while building community with their peers. 

Efforts like this help build the foundation of support they need to prioritize education and academic success. During a period in a child’s life where time revolves around the start and end of the school year, it is critical that we support those who are vulnerable to adversity. Education is a catalyst for future success and is an opportunity for children experiencing homelessness to break the cycle of financial insecurity.  

Source for data used was https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED616088 based on the YRBSS report done by the CDC here: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/2019/su6901-H.pdf