2024 Year-in-Review

The report found that there are over 364,000 infants and toddlers experiencing homelessness, yet only 11% of them are enrolled in a high-quality early childhood development program. The report also features state-level data and state laws that prioritize children experiencing homelessness. These data are being used in state legislative advocacy campaigns, and included in other national publications, including Zero to Three’s State of Babies Yearbook.

• The Missouri Head Start Collaboration Office to develop a community needs assessment and direct federal pandemic recovery funds to young children.
• The Tennessee Head Start Collaboration Office, Tennessee Department of Education, and Association for Infant Mental Health in Tennessee to implement a survey of Head Start grantees and local K12 liaisons; 
• The South Carolina Department of Education to conduct a statewide survey of early childhood programs and homeless education liaisons, assessing awareness of legal requirements and professional learning needs; 
• The Florida Head Start Collaboration Office to develop a landscape analysis and training series for Head Start grantees;
• Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, and West Virginia to provide training and other practical assistance.

In 2024, we showcased programs in Chicago, IL; Fort Worth, TX; and Boston, MA that foster family well-being and success by integrating home visiting, housing support, and early childhood education and care. These are among the 10 tools that we’ve created to support young children experiencing homelessness.

Developed in partnership with the National Head Start Association over two years ago, the Referral App bridges K-12 and early childhood systems to ensure young children experiencing homelessness are referred to Head Start and other early childhood development programs.

Impact in 2024:

• Nine states are now using the app to streamline referrals.
• Over 300 young children experiencing homelessness have been connected to early education programs.

We advocated for strong federal guidance, convened local practitioners, highlighted specific school district best practices, created planning and action tools, conducted trainings, and answered hundreds of questions. As a result, school districts invested nearly $325 million in 2024 alone on new ways to increase attendance and success for over one million students experiencing homelessness. This represents over one-third of the $800 million ARP-HCY appropriation, and is more than twice the amount that state and local educational agencies receive in annual homeless education funding.

The Imagine Learning Foundation awarded SHC and Attendance Works funding for our first-ever national collaboration to improve the school attendance of students experiencing homelessness. The initiative includes case studies of school districts that have made progress; webinars that bring homeless education and attendance professionals together; and a 2025 attendance awareness campaign to ultimately support students nationwide.

Many newly arrived immigrant families and youth do not have the resources to obtain safe, stable housing, and they face a pre-existing national shortage of affordable housing and shelter. As a result, the prevalence of homelessness among immigrant students is significant and growing. In response, SHC updated our immigration resource page, conducted many trainings for school districts and community organizations, joined the National Newcomer Network, and presented at the Welcoming America conference.

Working with BIE liaisons across 23 states, SHC provided 18 professional learning and community of practice sessions, supported the launch of a new three-year Education for Homeless Children and Youth grant, and led the first-ever BIE McKinney-Vento conference. Along with the development of new resources and tools, including the revision of BIE’s State McKinney-Vento plan, these activities resulted in the awarding of 24 subgrants, 15 of which are new, first-time grantees.

• A New Resource Hub for New (and Seasoned) McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaisons.  We launched a dedicated Resource Hub providing essential tools, guidance, and inspiration to help new liaisons navigate their critical role in supporting students experiencing homelessness. 
• Sample powerpoints, flyers, calendars, forms, and more. This one-page document summarizes a plethora of hands-on tools.
• Videos to help increase awareness and understanding. We created a straightforward explainer video about the McKinney-Vento Act, available in both English and Spanish, which garnered over 20,000 views. Additionally, we conducted interviews with experienced liaisons from across the country, capturing their valuable advice for new liaisons.

Problems with the 2024-2025 FAFSA were well documented in the media. Many of these delays and glitches made it especially difficult for homeless and foster youth to access financial aid in 2024. In response:

• We created 4 new FAFSA resources and updated 16 existing resources, including a video demonstration for youth on how to fill out the FAFSA and two FAFSA powerpoint templates that can be adapted to local/state trainings. In total, we have 10 resources to help support students to and through higher education.
• We conducted 27 virtual and in-person trainings at local, state, and national conferences, including a standing-room only session at the NASFAA conference, which resulted in a blog post from NASFAA and additional requests for training.
• We directly assisted more than 50 young people and/or their advocates who reached out for help with the FAFSA or with accessing postsecondary education. Many of these direct requests were complex, and their resolution required persistent and diligent advocacy.
• We joined the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and ECMC’s FAFSA Support Strategy to boost 2024-2025 FAFSA completion through a targeted social media campaign. The campaign focused on unaccompanied homeless youth ages 18-24 and youth-serving professionals. Across Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, our ads reached 990,059 users, generating 1,970,326 impressions and 38,898 engagements and clicks. Key achievements included exceeding our Facebook targets by 400% and achieving ad conversion rates 3x higher than industry standards on LinkedIn, 1.5x higher on Instagram, and nearly 2x higher on TikTok.

• Almost 900 school district homeless liaisons, higher education professionals, and service providers responded to our survey about improvements in policy and practice to help homeless and foster youth access financial aid. We used the survey results to inform our recommendations for the 2025-2026 FAFSA, including the official public comments that we submitted. Survey responses also helped us identify best practices that we can help replicate to increase FAFSA completion in the future.
• We were invited by the U.S. Department of Education to facilitate a listening session with K12 and financial aid practitioners to improve the 2025-2026 FAFSA. Separately, our Youth Leadership & Scholarship students met with ED officials to share their direct experiences with the FAFSA.
• In response to our advocacy, youth experiencing homelessness were selected as a focus population to take part in ED’s beta testing of the 2025-2026 FAFSA to ensure a smooth roll-out and functioning for vulnerable populations.
• Our advocacy resulted in one significant fix to the 2025-2026 FAFSA that removes a barrier for homeless youth who were not identified as homeless in high school, or who did not receive homelessness services.

This network, which is in its second year, includes participants from 24 states with roles varying from financial aid, housing, academic, and student support services. Topics discussed in the Homeless Higher Education Liaison Learning Network included the role of the liaison, identification, housing best practices, and transition from high school. In response to feedback, the network meetings now have two tracks: one for new liaisons and one for more seasoned liaisons to ensure information is practical and applicable. 

The partnership supported designated homeless liaisons at all 64 SUNY institutions by providing ongoing professional development and training. During the 2024-2025 year, we will continue working with SUNY higher education homeless liaisons to help institutions develop strategies for GAP housing during winter and summer breaks.

American Rescue Plan – Homeless Children and Youth (ARP-HCY) funds allowed schools to help students experiencing homelessness in ways that they’d never been able to do before. A gas card, a store card, a car repair, and other flexible uses of funds can make all the difference in helping students experiencing homelessness attend and succeed in school. As a result of a recent clarification from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for which we advocated, all of the allowable uses of ARP-HCY funds also will be allowable with annual Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) funds, except for short-term motel stays – and we’ll continue to fight for that use of funds in the months ahead.

We provided specific examples of real-life FAFSA problems encountered by youth experiencing homelessness that demonstrated the need for more specific ED guidance, and we urged ED to issue this guidance. On July 19th, 2024, ED issued an electronic announcement reminding financial aid administrators of their roles and responsibilities with respect to unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness. This guidance has since opened doors for many youth pursuing education beyond high school. We also submitted public comments on the 2025-2026 FAFSA, and obtained several improvements as a result.

In January, SHC submitted public comments opposing proposed changes to Head Start rules that could decrease the enrollment of children experiencing homelessness in Head Start by allowing local community needs assessments to include proxies, rather than actual data, on children experiencing homelessness. The final regulations did not contain this policy, noting the concerns that were raised, and preserving current requirements to include data on homelessness in community needs assessments.

Lack of child care is a significant barrier to education and employment for families experiencing homelessness, particularly youth and young adults who have children. In August, SHC drafted and submitted public comments on a proposed rule to revise regulations for federally funded child care. Twenty national organizations signed on to these comments, which also included recommendations for children involved in the child welfare system. The final rule, issued in early March 2024, includes our recommendation to specifically call out these populations, for whom even nominal co-payments can be prohibitive or prolong their homelessness. This will bring greater visibility to their unique needs and help states exercise this option. While the final rule does not include our recommendation to require states to expand the supply of child care for children experiencing homelessness through grants or contracts, it acknowledges the benefit of this strategy and encourages states to do so.

Job Corps, the nation’s largest free career training and education program with over 120 campuses nationwide, provides housing, healthcare, food, childcare, and more for low-income young adults (16–24). Previously, parental signature and consent requirements created enrollment barriers for unaccompanied homeless youth. After years of advocacy by SchoolHouse Connection and our partners at the National Network for Youth, the U.S. Department of Labor updated Job Corps policy, making it easier for unaccompanied homeless youth to enroll without parental consent.

In early February, Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-IL) and Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) reintroduced the Housing for Homeless Students Act (H.R. 7278), bipartisan legislation that would update the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program to allow full-time students to live in LIHTC housing if they’ve experienced homelessness within the last seven years. In May, the Higher Education Access and Success Act for Homeless and Foster Youth (HEASHFY) S.4270/H.R. 8273, was re-introduced by U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Mike Braun (R-IN) in the Senate, and by U.S. Representatives Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37) and Erin Houchin (R-IN-09) in the House of Representatives. HEASHFY creates higher education homeless and foster youth liaison positions on college campuses; requires institutions of higher education to develop plans for housing; and prioritizes homeless and foster youth for work study.  While neither bill advanced in the 118th Congress, their reintroduction in a bipartisan fashion will help position them in the next session of Congress.

In June, in collaboration with U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), SHC facilitated a Congressional briefing featuring eight youth and young adults from SHC’s Youth Leadership and Scholarship program who experienced homelessness in high school and throughout much of their childhoods. These students, who come from across the country, discussed the challenges they experienced in their K12 education, those they are experiencing now in college or the workforce, and the people, programs, and internal attributes that have helped them persist and achieve success. In addition to the Congressional briefing, the youth also met with career and political appointees at ED to discuss their K12 educational barriers and the support that they wished that they would have had.

In 2024, we revamped our scholarship timeline to better serve students. Applications now open in January, with awards announced in August of the year before applicants begin college – giving us 12 full months to provide college readiness support. This shift allows us to focus on the critical fall semester of senior year, boosting scholars’ success with college and scholarship applications. The results are already clear: our newest cohort is making remarkable progress toward college readiness, positioning them for a future with minimal loans and maximum support.

This year, we celebrated five of our scholars graduating from college. Their journeys have been marked by perseverance and a dedication to their education and futures. Along the way, they have given back through local, state, and federal advocacy, using their voices to create meaningful change. These graduates embody the mission of our program, and we are excited to see them continue making an impact in their communities and beyond.

This year, our scholars stepped up as powerful advocates, shaping a brighter future for themselves and others. Through local, state, and national efforts, they elevated critical issues, shared their stories to drive change, and collaborated with policymakers to improve education for children, youth, and young adults experiencing homelessness. Their dedication embodies our mission: overcoming homelessness through education. Here are just a few highlights of their impactful advocacy.

• Participating at the June 2024 National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Youth and Young Adult Summit in Boston. We worked closely with five scholars to prepare for a panel discussion focused on the needs of students experiencing homelessness both in and out of school. Our scholars dedicated significant time to reflecting on their experiences, understanding the roles of state legislators, and identifying actionable ways that attendees could improve resources and remove barriers for other young people. The students also participated as faculty for the entire conference, learning alongside state policymakers.
• In June, we brought our 2023 scholars to Washington, DC, where we hosted a Congressional briefing with record attendance, met with leaders at the U.S. Department of Education, reconnected with each other, and explored the nation’s capital. Many Congressional staff attendees shared that it was one of the best briefings they had attended on the Hill—and our most impactful yet.

We were quoted in more than 40 media stories, including a special New York Times feature highlighting the hidden homelessness of families; an in-depth look at the FAFSA challenges for homeless youth in the Chronicle of Higher Education; and features in Politico, Education Week, the 74 Million, NPR, and Chalkbeat on efforts to ensure that pandemic recovery funding reached children and youth experiencing homelessness. 

In 2024, we successfully launched SchoolHouse Connection’s brand new website – years in the making but well worth the wait! 

Designed with our network’s needs in mind, the new site features:

• Easier navigation to quickly access tools and resources 
• Consistent branding that reflects SHC’s mission and values
• Clean user interface that simplifies the user experience

In 2024, SchoolHouse Connection launched the SHC Community on Slack, inspired by survey results showing that nearly 40% of homeless liaisons wanted better ways to share tools and strategies with peers. This new platform has become a hub for meaningful connections and impactful collaborations, advancing our mission to support children and youth experiencing homelessness.

Highlights include:

• Hundreds of users joined in its first year
• Users exchanged strategies to overcome shared challenges
• Connecting professionals to resources and state and federal policy updates