The KCPS Students in Transition Program Provides Resources for Students in Need

Back-to-school season is underway. While numerous students are able to start the school year comfortably, many others face socioeconomic challenges ahead of the first day.

Families experiencing housing insecurity are hit hard during the back-to-school season because enrolling is extremely difficult when you lack the necessary documents, such as proof of residence and immunization records. Additionally, many guardians do not have the access or literacy to enroll their students online due to the technology gap in underserved communities.

Students in transition refers to those in pre-K through 12th grade who face displacement from nighttime housing. The different types of student homelessness include being temporarily doubled-up with relatives or friends, living in a motel or hotel, living in a house without heat, lights, or water, or students identified as runaway youth.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison in the Students in Transition office is a resource for families and youth to utilize when obstacles arise. The program has full-time social workers and clinicians, because mental health is a high priority. The program team also relies heavily on the Kansas City Health Department to get vaccination records for those who do not have access to them. Transportation and access to lunch is another top need that they provide, without the burden of paperwork. The program can transport students across district boundaries and state lines if necessary.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison also offers the College Access Corner, an initiative to help students in transition navigate postsecondary education.

Melissa Douglas, McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison in the KCPS Students in Transition office, said, “As an unaccompanied youth, you don’t have a guardian standing on either side of you.”

The back-to-school process also has physical and psychological effects on the students that can result in poor behavior and declining academic performance. Additionally, these students lack proper resources for food, water, hygiene and clothes.

“Physical and mental health is affected by the inability to control their circumstances. Younger children do not have a voice and are oftentimes forced to tag along,” Douglas said.

“Although homeless shelters and doubled-housing provide shelter, it is still not their home. Students are not getting adequate rest in these environments, further exacerbating stress responses.”

Students in transition may make less desirable choices that can lead to future problems, such as a criminal record. Students may lack communication and socialization skills and have shorter attention spans. In some circumstances, students may not want to disclose their situations due to feelings of shame.

“Being homeless has a ripple effect. Students become a tight ball, and eventually, something will pop,” said Douglas.

“We can’t be tough on students. They are more likely to talk to someone about their experience whom they feel safe with.”

Faculty and guardians alike can reach out to McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison. They work hand in hand with school nurses, secretaries, and community shelters to assist as many families as possible and make their presence known.

“We don’t have a one-response-fits-all scenario. We offer a variety of solutions to ensure we meet the needs of our students,” Douglas said.

Decisions made by local elected officials about where people lacking shelter can camp also have an impact on stability and quality of life.

“Local leaders are pushing homelessness out of sight. Awareness starts at the neighborhood level, and everyone needs to do their due diligence,” Douglas said.

Additional resources include McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison advocacy groups: the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, the National Center of Homelessness and School House Connection. Children’s Mercy Kansas City is another group that recently started an initiative for accessible counseling for students experiencing homelessness.

If you or a loved one are facing housing displacement with school-aged dependents, contact the Office of Students in Transition at 816-418-8640 or homelessservices@kcpublicschools.org.