Most people take the luxury of having a home for granted, but the reality is, not every one is lucky enough to have a roof over their head every night. The question that comes to mind is simple in its essence, but not as easy to answer: How do families and kids end up on the streets and what is being done about it?

Counting the exact number of homeless people is difficult; the reported number differs depending on whom you ask. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), up to 600,000 men, women and children go homeless every night in the United States. The Better Homes Fund claims the number of homeless children alone is 1.2 million. The Fund bases their findings on the estimates from the U.S. Department of Education that reports 400,000 homeless children were served by the nation's public schools last year. Because more that half of all homeless children are under the age of six and not yet in school and some homeless kids do not attend school at all, the Fund concluded the total number of homele

www.thebetterhomesfund.org - The Better Homes Fund 03/12/2001

Federal and state government as well as numerous private and non-profit organizations are working together to bring this epidemic of homelessness to an end. Plans for immediate action and long term solutions are being developed. Stand Up For Kids, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1990 to help rescue homeless and at-risk youth, provides straightforward counseling and educational programs, thereby helping homeless children acquire the life skills necessary to become effective members of their community. Stand Up For Kids offers immediate necessities such as food, clothing, shelter and personal hygiene as well as housing assistance, education assistance, vocational development, counseling, health services, transportation to self-help meetings, and legal assistance. The Better Homes Fund presented a seven-point platform of immediate action to improve well being of homeless children. The plan entails paying more attention to the health of homeless children, emphasizes access to schooling, and aims at preventing violence. The Education of Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program, established by Congress in 1987 as part of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, provides formula grants to state educational agencies to ensure that all homeless children and youth have equal access to the same free, appropriate education, including preschool education, provided to other children and youth. State and local educational agencies receive McKinney funds to review and revise laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as a barrier to the enrollment, attendance, and success in school of homeless children. The Better Homes Fund's long term solution to resolve the homeless problem in America focuses on developing an adequate supply of decent affordable housing; a challenge that is even more difficult now, with the rapidly escalating cost of housing. The Fund

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