Importance of the Topic for the Early Childhood Education Field “Challenges Surrounding Parents and Children who are Homeless”
The significance of the larger topic Challenges Surrounding Parents and Children who are Homeless for The Early Childhood Education Field
Homeless children are at great risk of different negative effects, such as poor well-being or negative social outcomes (Moore & McArthur, 2011). This paper deals with the topic of early childhood education. The main goal of this paper is to reveal the main questions regarding the issue of challenges that homeless children face in everyday life and how it can affect their education. In order to deal with this issue successfully, different sources of information were carefully examined and analyzed.
The issue of homelessness is extremely significant and it is of great importance because it disrupts the lives of many families and their children. Homelessness can spoil the lives of children in a great way because scholars have found that it tends to limit children’s access to the complete participation in the process of education. Moreover, there is a great number of difficulties that children face, for instance, the high level of mobility suffered by their families. Such factors can greatly influence children’s education and cause great troubles for them. Moore and McArthur believe that schools play a prominent role in helping children to cope with those problems. Schools can provide a great support to children who are homeless. Moreover, school routines are believed to be a counterbalance to the imbalance, which homelessness can cause. Scholars believe that if children feel a strong connection with their school, it can be a very crucial element, which can result in positive health and educational achievements (Moore & McArthur, 2011). As a lot of families experience homelessness every year, this issue is of great importance for educators to understand what effects of homelessness can influence children’s education. This knowledge will help educators to find the effective ways, which are helpful in serving the needs of homeless families and their children. As a lot of homeless families search for permanent situations for their children, the help of educators will be very significant (Hinton & Cassel, 2013).
The Major Discussion and Importance of my specific issue; including partner’s specific issue
Homelessness is considered to be a reality for many families with children. Even though it is extremely difficult to provide accurate statistics of homeless population, there is some evidence, which provides statistics regarding homeless families. In 2008, The United States Conference of Mayors provided the information, which revealed that about 4 million people experienced homelessness during the year. Moreover, approximately 42 percent of this number are women and children. In 2011, it was revealed that there was a 6 percent increase of homelessness and 16 percent increase of homeless families. Young children who experience homelessness are at high risk of experiencing learning disabilities and emotional disturbance. Homeless parents face a lot of challenges as they must take care not only after themselves, but also after their children. In addition, they are supposed to find the way in order to provide their children with needed things. They also must participate in their children’s education. In 2009, President Obama addressed this problem in his first Presidential Press conference. He stated that it was not right that families and their children must live without a roof over their heads (Hinton & Cassel, 2013).
Knowledge and Understanding of Specific Issue under Discussion
Discuss the Issue and How It Affects Families and Children’s Education
There are many factors, which can lead to the homelessness. It can be unemployment, domestic violence, or other reasons (Goins & Cesarone, n.d.). In order to reveal the effects of homelessness on children, it is needed to examine the study of Ellen Hart-Shegos. This study reveals challenges that homeless children face and how they affect children’s education. By the time homeless children go to school, homelessness has different effects on their social and academic lives. If to compare to children who have a home, homeless ones are more likely to experience health problems. Moreover, most homeless children suffer various physical and emotional damage due to their homeless experience. The first and the most difficult challenge that homeless children face is problems with physical health. If to speak in general, homeless children experience health problems even more than those who have poor housing. Statistics show that approximately half of homeless children are prone to experience two or three illnesses per month. Moreover, homeless children are also prone to experience chronic health problems. Studies show that homeless children are four times more prone to need enlarged health care after the birth. Statistics also show that 16 percent of homeless children have more than one chronic problem, such as endocrine dysfunction. Homeless children are also at high risk of experiencing infectious disease. They are more likely to suffer diarrheal infections than housed children. Moreover, homeless children suffer from different respiratory infections more than housed ones and are more likely to have a positive skin test, which shows exposure to tuberculosis. Environmental factors also provide a great contribution to a poor health of homeless children. Asthma is one of the most widespread diseases among homeless children. Poor nutrition is considered to be one of the most important factors, which lead to poor health. Homeless children are more prone to have stunned growth than children who have home. Moreover, homeless children are more likely to experience iron deficiencies, which lead to anemia. Studies also show that about 33 percent of homeless children have great problems with their teeth because they have never visited a dentist (Hart-Shegos & Ray, 1999).
Describe Benefits and Challenges of the Selected Issue with Examples
Besides issues of poor health, homeless children face the issues of emotional and behavioral development. Homeless children are very vulnerable to various stressful and traumatic events because they are too young to understand. As the result, it often leads to emotional distress. Homeless children always have to think where to sleep and what to eat. Moreover, if they manage to find a place for living, they are afraid of losing it. As for older children, they are often afraid of losing their friends or pets. Besides, they fear that new peers at school won’t accept them and will treat them differently. Their families are also of great importance here, as children often share stress and tension of their parents. Homeless children also are afraid of violence because many of them have experienced violence in the family. They are likely to be stressful because of changes. Homeless children move to another place of living for approximately three times per year. All these stressful events lead to mental disorders. About 30 percent of homeless children have one mental disorder, which interferes with their daily activity. Approximately 47 percent have numerous problems with anxiety and depression. For the comparison, only 18 percent of housed children experience such problems (Hart-Shegos & Ray, 1999).
Finally, homeless children face problems concerning academic and cognitive development. The academic performance of homeless children is very problematic because of their poor cognitive development. Moreover, the aftermaths of homelessness also hamper their academic performance. Homeless children suffer from emotional problems, which influence learning in a great way. They are also likely to experience different learning disabilities, such as speech delays. Moreover, the aftermaths of homelessness prevent children from performing well at school. Constant mobility is considered to be one of the main factors, which hamper the academic performance of homeless children. Statistics show that 41 percent of homeless children attend two different schools per year because of mobility. Moreover, 28 percent of homeless children go to three or even more schools per year. Such a mobility results in poor performance of children. This can be seen in very low math and reading test scores, and in different emotional problems. These problems include anxiety, very low ratings of psychosocial development, difficulties in developing relationships with other children, and etc (Hart-Shegos & Ray, 1999).
Connecting Research Studies Relevant to Specific Issue under Discussion
Empirical Study #1
The first study was conducted by Tim Moore and Morag McArthur. Their study is the report, which provides information about children who experienced homelessness. Moreover, it includes their thoughts about homelessness and school. It also provides the information concerning difficulties and worries, which children have experienced.
The Purpose
The aim of this study was to investigate and understand perspectives of children who experienced homelessness. Moreover, this study aimed at revealing the main research question namely what services system have to know about the experience of homeless children in order to support them.
The Methods
The Findings
Hoes Does the Study Support the Issue?
The study shows that there are other factors, which are connected with accommodation, that lead to poor academic performance. They include lack of sleep, tiredness, and hunger. That is why a high mobility is one of the hardest challenges, which homeless children face.
Empirical Study #2
The second empirical study was conducted by Stephanie Hinton and Darlinda Cassel. The main of this study was to research the experiences of homeless families.
The Purpose
Moreover, the research also aimed to cover three issues. The first one was the understanding of why families with young children become homeless. The second one was identifying what beneficial resources are available for homeless parents. The final one was examining the effects of homelessness on young children and their families.
The Methods
Participants of this study were homeless families with young children. The participants were to live in the shelter for thirty days. The person who conducted the interview of families asked parents about their childhood and factors, which led their family to homelessness. All the interviews were recorded.
The Findings
Parents said that their children experienced behavioral changes after moving to shelter. Those changes included anger and anxiety. Moreover, it was revealed that the vocabulary of young children was undeveloped. During their staying in the shelter, they were not able not communicate with each other because of poor vocabulary. Homelessness greatly affected children’s cognitive development because as they did not have an opportunity to visit school regularly, they did not attain skill of communication. (Hinton & Cassel, 2013).
Hoes Does the Study Support the Issue?
The study shows that homeless children face the challenges of poor cognitive development. This aspects shows that they are not able to achieve great results in their education.
IV. Personal Reflections
As for me, homelessness is a great problem of modern society. It has a lot of negative effects on children and as the result, they suffer from numerous problems, such as mental diseases and poor academic performance. However, this problem can be solved. Schools can play a great role in supporting homeless families and their children. Firstly, it is needed to educate professional staff how to treat homeless children. Educators must learn more information regarding conditions of homelessness and how it affects children. Secondly, teachers also must learn how to help homeless children. They have to understand how homelessness affects the process of learning. Moreover, they must know what resources can help homeless children (Murphy & Tobin, 2011). This topic influences my teaching beliefs greatly because teachers must do whatever it takes to provide homeless children with professional learning. It is necessary to help homeless children to cope with all the challenges.
As the conclusion, it must be revealed that the issue of education is really significant nowadays. As the number of homeless families grows, it is necessary to take actions to order to deal with this problem. As it was mentioned previously, schools can play a significant role in supporting homeless children. Teachers must be aware of all the aspects of homelessness and be ready to help. With the support of schools, homeless children will have the opportunity to cope with challenges that they face.
References
Goins, B., & Cesarone, B. Homeless Children: Meeting the Educational Challenges (1st ed., pp. 1-7). Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED356099.pdf
Hart-Shegos, E., & Ray, A. (1999). Homelessness and its Efects on Children (pp. 1-11). Retrieved from http://www.fhfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Homlessness_Effects_Children.pdf
Hinton, S., & Cassel, D. (2013). Exploring the Lived Experiences of Homeless Families with Young Children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 41(6), 457-463. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10643-012-0562-5
Moore, T., & McArthur, M. (2011). Good for kids': Children who have been homeless talk about school. Australian Journal Of Education (ACER Press), 55(2), 147-160.
Murphy, J., & Tobin, K. (2011). Homelessness comes to school. Phi Delta Kappan, 93(3), 32-37.
