Statistics on youth homelessness are appalling. The U.S. Department of Education estimated that in 2013, 1 in every 30 children experiences homelessness; that is 2.5 million homeless children in the U.S.A. According to the National Center for Family Homelessness, Kentucky is ranked as the worst state for youth homelessness. Kenton, Campbell, and Boone County schools reported more than 2,100 students as homeless for the 2014-2015 school year, with the average age being 9 years old.
To raise awareness and start a discussion of how to address the Youth Homelessness problem, Children’s Law Center and the NKU Social Work Program present a special viewing of “The Homestretch” – a film following three teenagers experiencing homelessness as they fight to stay in school, graduate, and build a future. The event takes place Thursday November 12, 2015 at 4:30 p.m. in the Eva G. Farris Auditorium at Northern Kentucky University. The movie is FREE, with snacks provided by the Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement.
Please join us as we “Walk A Mile in Their Shoes” and take a closer look at the experiences of youth who are homeless so that we can work together to find solutions. For more information on the event or to RSVP, visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/461140634088857/
For more than 25 years, the Children’s Law Center (CLC) has been providing free quality individual legal advocacy to children and youth, and seeks to impact systems that serve children. Children’s Law Center is a unique non-profit legal service center protecting the rights of children and youth to help them overcome barriers and transition into adulthood, better self-advocate for their needs, and successfully contribute to society. It seeks to not only achieve fair and just legal outcomes, but to provide opportunities for youth to achieve better life outcomes.
CLC’s Youth Homelessness Program is an outreach project focused on Boone, Kenton and Campbell Counties to remove legal barriers for homeless youth and coordinate with other social service agencies to address the homeless children’s needs to improve long-term outcomes. Youth experiencing homelessness are at greater risk for mental health issues, medical illnesses, and school difficulties. These youth are twice as likely to have a learning disability. They are more prone to ear infections, asthma, and abdominal ailments. Additionally, they experience increased rates of truancy, school failure, grade retention, and dropout rates.
For more information or if you know a youth experiencing homelessness, please contact, Tiffanny Smith, at 859-431-3313 or tsmith@childrenslawky.org.