Homeless schoolchildren numbers soar as federal funds decline, By Laura Figueroa, March 16, 2014, Long Island Newsday: “The number of homeless schoolchildren has quadrupled in Nassau County and more than doubled in Suffolk since the recession first hit — even as federal funding for homeless student programs has decreased. While Long Island’s economy is recovering, the number of homeless families continues to grow, according to state and county figures. The uptick has strained resources in many districts already beset by layoffs and reduced state education aid. Social service programs for the children and their families also have experienced federal, state and county budget cuts. Apart from New York City, which has some 80,500 homeless students, Suffolk has the highest homeless enrollment in the state. The county had nearly 5,000 homeless students as of the 2012-13 school year, up from 1,956 in 2007-08…”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty