Transitional Education Resources

Internet accessible resources

Homes for the Homeless:
www.homesforthehomeless.com/opendoor.html

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth:
www.naehcy.org

National Center for Children in Poverty:
http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/nccp

National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE):
www.serve.org/nche
SERVE has a variety of resources available including a page listing all the state coordinators and website addresses if the state homeless education coordinator has one set up. Several states have wonderful downloadable resources that would be useful for other states.

National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty:
www.nlchp.org

U.S. Department of Education:
www.ed.gov

McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act (1987)

Illinois Opening Doors Program:
http://homelessed.net/intro/default.htm

University of Texas Dana Center Office for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth:
http://www.utdanacenter.org/theo/

Children’s Literature
(Compiled by the National Center for Homeless Education)

Bunting, E., & Himler, R. (Ill.). (1991). Fly Away Home. New York: Clarion Books.
The story of a father and son who are experiencing homelessness after the child’s mother dies.  The family lives in the airport and does their best to remain inconspicuous. The father has a weekend job but hasn’t found full-time employment, so there is not enough money to pay the rent. To earn tips, the boy, who is not yet seven, helps travelers with their luggage.  The boy spots a bird that is trapped in the airport concourse. The bird keeps trying to get out and repeatedly runs into the glass. Finally, the boy sees the bird fly away home, and he realizes that he, too, will be able to do that one day. Reading Rainbow produced a segment featuring the book, which is available on video. (ALA Notable book)

da Costa Nuñez, R. (1997). Our Wish. New York: Institute for Children and Poverty, Inc.
Follow Mrs. Bun E. and her children as this rabbit family loses their home and moves to the animal shelter. Activity book also available.

da Costa Nuñez, R., & Schrager, W. (2000). Cooper’s Tale. New York: Institute for Children and Poverty, Inc.
Cooper is a mouse who loses his home in a cheese shop when the owner becomes ill. He meets a group of children living in a shelter who invite Cooper to stay with them. Working together, Cooper and the children develop a love for reading. A happy ending awaits them all.

DiSalvo-Ryan, D. (1991). Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen. New York: Morrow Junior Books. ISBN: 0688-09165-2
An elementary-aged boy has a day off from school and goes to the soup kitchen with his uncle who works there. The issue of homelessness in a community is dealt with in a sensitive and respectful manner. The boy is initially hesitant about encountering a homeless man, but after watching his uncle at the soup kitchen, he realizes that homeless people are not unusual or different—they are normal, just like him. (picture book)

Wittlinger, E. (2000). Gracie’s Girl. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN: 0689-82249-9
Bess Cunningham is a rising sixth-grader who wants to be noticed in middle school. She tries to draw attention to herself through stylish clothes, but it is her work with a homeless shelter that gets her noticed. The story deals with friend dynamics, family dynamics, school relationships, personal interests, and how they all weave together to form an individual. Bess encounters many of the dilemma’s common to middle-schoolers, such as seeing a friend start dating. The biggest challenge Bess faces is dealing with the death of a homeless lady that she befriended. (chapter book)