HOMELESS STUDENTS DOUBLE IN NUMBER - in CALIFORNIA ONE CHILD IN TWENTY IS A HOMELESS STUDENT

WASHINGTON POST - HOMELESS STUDENTS DOUBLE

EXCERPT  But California’s population of homeless children fell sharply in the aftermath of the recession in 2009-2010 and then rose more gradually until 2013 before spiking to a new height in 2014, according to the federal data. Student homelessness is also more prevalent there than in almost any other state: Nearly 1 in 20 children in California experienced homelessness in the 2013-2014 school year.   ...

The latest homeless count, an 8 percent increase over the 2012-2013 school year, is a sign that many families continue to struggle financially even as the economy recovers from the housing collapse of 2008. And it offers a glimpse of the growing challenges that public schools face nationwide as they seek to educate an increasing number of low-income children.

The impact is profound on public schools , which struggle to try to address the needs of homeless children. Teachers often find themselves working not only to help children learn but also to clothe them, keep them clean and counsel them through problems — including stress and trauma — that interfere with classroom progress.