[OYAN] In the News: homeless students in Oregon, most details report to date

[Katie Anderson]

Oregon unveils unprecedented portrait of its 18,000 homeless students
http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2013/11/oregon_unveils_unprecedented_p.html#incart_river
Half of the homeless student population are in rural or small town Oregon. The other half are in the Portland metro area and other cities.

Teens are the largest group of students who are homeless. Kindergarteners are the second largest group of homeless students.

Homeless students lag farther behind academically than other students in poverty. They do worse in math than reading.

What can libraries do?

*         Be aware of and sensitive to the needs of homeless youth and the people taking in homeless youth. DoSomething.org<http://www.dosomething.org/cause/homelessness-and-poverty> has some general information, resources, and ideas.

*         Know and be able to provide information about local organizations and agencies that provide services to homeless youth and their families. This may be a place to start if you aren't familiar with these organizations in your community: http://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/pages/css_state_homeless_assistance_program.aspx.

*         Provide safe and dry space for them to identify community services to get help, check their email, do their homework, read, and socialize (i.e. participate in library programs).

*         Partner with social services that already work with these students to provide library materials to them.

*         Take library services and programs out to shelters and other places in your community where homeless youth already gather.

Katie Anderson, Library Development Services
* Youth Services Consultant * Oregon Center for the Book Coordinator *
Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, OR 97301
katie.anderson at state.or.us<mailto:katie.anderson at state.or.us>, 503-378-2528

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