Homeless facts in Delaware
The news lately is filled with stories of homeowners facing foreclosures, as well as unemployment statistics, and what the government may or may not do to help these people out. We also hear lots of stories about how pets are falling victim to these foreclosures by being abandoned in a variety of ways (though one man in Philly chose to remain homeless until he and his dog could find a place to live). But there’s not a whole lot being discussed about how poverty and homelessness, either sudden or chronic, is affecting children.
Poor and homeless children have become one of our country’s dirty little secrets. We all know that they exist and yet no one wants to discuss it. It’s as if our collective moral and ethical conscience, combined with our desire to sweep problems under the rug, have allowed us to ignore this most vulnerable population.
An article published yesterday on www.msnbc.com, ‘Tidal wave of homeless students hits school’ highlights many problems and challenges school districts face when dealing with homeless students. The cheese sandwich controversy highlights how parents’ financial situations can impact their children. But how do these problems hit home? What is the situation in Delaware?
According to statistics published by Kids Count in Delaware:
- In 2007, 204,473, or 13.2%, of children in Delaware lived in poverty.
- During the school year 1599 students, or 1.3 per 100 enrolled, were homeless (Delaware school districts use the McKinney-Vento Act definition of homelessness)
- 43.5% of students in Sussex County, 36.1% of students in New Castle County, and 34.9student in Kent County received free or reduced lunch (according to Kids Count, “Free and reduced price lunch is the proxy measure for low income when examining education data”)
Homeless students, as well as those living in poverty, typically experience poorer health which leads to additional school absences, the inability to afford proper supplies which leads to an inability to complete assignments, poorer nutrition which can lead to poor academic performance as well as illness, and dropout at a higher rate. All of these factors perpetuate the cycle of poverty.
So what can you do to help? One way to help is to become a sponsor for the Adopt-a-Student program, sponsored by DHSS. “The Adopt-a-Student program matches students in need with individuals who make a direct investment in the future of a child through a sponsorship by adopting a student (or students) and filling a backpack with needed school supplies. Once matched with a student, Adopt-a-Family provides sponsors with a list of requested supplies by grade and/or school district for the adopted student. Sponsors can additionally provide a gift card for a pair of shoes, a hair cut or one new outfit for school” (DHSS Press Release, June 27, 2006).
A second way is to contact agencies such as Families Connected, Inc or Ministry of Caring to see what is on their “wish list”. Agencies like this are all around the state and help distribute school supplies to those who need it. A third way to help a child in need is to be an advocate. Talk to your representatives, school districts, neighbors. Get the word out that children need help and that we, as citizens, are going to make sure that they get it, whether that means immunizations, meals, or supplies. While measures are already in place to address these issues, educate yourself on what the State is doing. Suggest new ideas. Start a nonprofit. Hold a fundraiser. Do what you can; no assistance is too small.
I don’t profess to be an expert on childhood poverty and homelessness and how those factors affect education. What can say is that all children deserve the chance to succeed in school, regardless of their home or financial situation. And if we can make a difference for one child, to help one child remain in school until he graduates, then we have done our part to help break the cycle of poverty.
7% of all Americans will experience homelessness over any 5 year period
, Per Capita Personal Income and Poverty
New Castle had a per capita personal income (PCPI) of $35,587 in 2000. This PCPI ranked first in the state, and was 114% of the state average, and 120% of the national average (Exhibit 6). New Castle County’s 2000 PCPI reflected an increase of 6.8% from 1999. The 1999-2000 increase for the state was 6.1%, and for the nation was 6.7%.
Among the three Delaware counties in 1999, Sussex and Kent Counties were essentially tied for having the highest overall poverty rates of 10.5% and 10.7% respectively. Female-headed families experience the highest poverty rate as a group, but the county with the highest rate for this type of family was Sussex. Kent County had the highest poverty rate of the three counties for all families and for elderly persons. For all age groups and household types, Wilmington reported a much higher poverty rate than Dover, and these two cities had poverty rates for all groups that were higher than any of the three counties.
read or pretend to read.ild Rent Burdened Households
In 2000, the census reported 8,890 rental units in Delaware occupied by households with incomes under 30% of the median income for the area (approximately poverty level) and paying over 50% of their income on housing. Of this total, 12% were located in Sussex County, 16% in Kent County, 24% in the City of Wilmington, and 49% in New Castle County outside the City of Wilmington. These are
households that are not currently in subsidized housing and, due to their extremely low income level and severe rent burden, are at increased risk of homelessness. T
rends Data Bank Households with children:
- • 15% of homeless clients were adults and children in families
- • 84% of the single adults were female and 16% were male
- • 41% were never married, 36% were separated or divorced, and 23% were married
- • 38% were white, non-Hispanic, 43% were black non-Hispanic, 15% were Hispanic and 4% were
categorized as “other”
- • 53% have less than high school education, 21% completed high school and 27% had some
education beyond high school.
- • 20% of the children were 0-2 yrs., 22% were 3-5 yrs., 20% were 6-8 yrs., and 33% were 9-17 yrs.
- • 51% of the children were in households receiving AFDC (since replaced by TANF)
- • 49% were in homeless spells lasting less than 3 months, 13% were in homeless spells lasting
more than 2 years
Health and Disability Conditions:
- • 38% reported indicators of alcohol use problems
- • 26% reported indictors of drug use problems
- • 39% reported indicators of mental health problems
- • 66% reported indicators of one or more of these problems
- • 3% reported having HIV/AIDS
- • 46% reported having chronic health conditions such as arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes, or
cancer
- • 55% had no medical insurance
