Testimony of Meghana Menon

Before the Senate

Education Committee
April 26th, 2016
Hello, my name is Meghana, your STLS Navigator. With just those words,
lives can be changed, hope can be replenished, and community can be built.
Chairperson William Delgado, Minority Spokesperson David Luechtefeld,
members of the education committee, thank you for the opportunity to
testify during this subject matter hearing on the epidemic of homeless
children in Illinois and supporting the effort to improve their resources to
education and social services. I would like to introduce myself as Meghana
Menon, a public health expert in the field of homeless youth and education. I
am advocating for the legal rights homeless children are entitled to receive
by federal and state law.
Everyone in this room can attest to the opportunities an education can
provide. You would not be here without the people who supported you during
your youth. Whether that was family, teachers, coaches, or counselors,
young people need some stability for the ability to learn and excel. Countless
research studies have shown that increased amounts of education lead to
better health outcomes in the future (Bassuk et al, 2014). It is unethical and
inconceivable to deny this right to any child. Specifically, children and youth
who have experienced homelessness or temporary living situations are at
risk of not reaching their full potential in the areas of physical and mental
health and education (Sulkowski, et al, 2014). They are at risk of falling
between the cracks of our school system and becoming the next generation
of homeless adults.
In an effort to ensure homeless children received the same education and
opportunities as other children, Congress passed the McKinney Vento
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Homeless Assistance Act in 1987 and Illinois passed Public Act 88-634 in
1994 (Illinois General Assembly, 1994). Both policies aimed to increase
accessibility and collaboration within the school by appointing a liaison that
is responsible for identifying and enrolling the students, ensuring they are
aware of their rights and getting them in touch with social services to
promote educational stability and opportunity.
According to the Illinois State Board of Education, there were 54,638
homeless youth in Illinois during the 2014-2015 school year, which is double
what it was six years earlier (Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, 2016). In
Chicago alone there are over 20,000 homeless students. Although these
policies were enacted over 20 years ago, studies and focus groups have
shown that there is a lack of knowledge among not only the students but
also the school administration on the rights these children have and the
resources that are available to them (Chicago Coalition for the Homeless,
2016). How can we even begin to address this public health concern without
full and proper implementation of the laws that exist today?
The rates of homelessness will continue to increase until we as a society
eliminate the stigma and isolation associated with the status of homeless.
For example, Chicago Public Schools have replaced the phrase homeless
students with students in temporary living situations (STLS) in an effort to
decrease stigma and increase rates of reportage. This small action is a step
in the direction of creating an environment where students feel supported
enough to disclose their living situations. The state of Illinois has the
opportunity to move in this direction through the Invisible No More
campaign, which supports mandating that liaisons be introduced at the
beginning of each semester to all students. This introduction will include the
designated liaisons name, office location, responsibilities, and array of
services available to any student experiencing a change in housing status.
This will automatically increase the visibility of the liaison to help navigate
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the services legally entitled to students in temporary living situations as well

as help identify students those students. Although the student may not need
those services right then, they would know that a support structure is built
into the Illinois public education system and feel assured that they will not be
invisible or forgotten.
The Invisible No More campaign is proposing an amendment to Illinois
Public Act 88-634, the Education for Homeless Children Act, to mandate a
formal introduction of the STLS Navigator to all students at the beginning of
each semester. This is an action that does not need any additional funding
and can be as simple as writing a name on a nametag. I ask our senators and
representatives to support this amendment and never let a child fall through
the cracks again.
Thank you for your time.

References:
Bassuk, E. L., DeCandia, C. J., Beach, C. A., & Berman, F. (2014). Americas
Youngest Outcasts. American Institutes for Research, The National Center on
Family Homelessness.
Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. (2016). FAQs/Studies. Retrieved 2016,
from Chicago Coalition for the Homeless:
http://www.chicagohomeless.org/faq-studies/
Illinois General Assembly. (1995). Education for Homeless Children Act.
Illinois Compiled Statutes.
Sulkowski, M. L., & Joyce-Beaulieu, D. K. (2014). School-Based Service
Delivery for Homeless Students: Relevant Laws and Overcoming Access
Barriers. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry , 84 (6), 711-719.

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