On July 11, 2007, the United States Congress established November as National Homeless Youth Awareness Month. Since then, the resolution has been adopted by many national organizations and school districts across the country. The Trinity County Office of Education is recognizing this movement and hoping that you will join us in wearing green on Fridays to support our students experiencing homelessness.

According to the California Department of Education, almost 10% of Trinity County enrolled students are living with housing insecurity. It is important to remember that homelessness does not always look the same for everyone and we can all make a difference for our local youth by advocating and educating our communities. The McKinney-Vento Act defines the term “homeless children and youth” as individuals that lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This can look like sharing housing with multiple families, living in emergency transitional housing due to hardships, sleeping in cars or substandard housing to name a few. 

There are many wonderful resources and organizations to help inform us as school staff and community members. Here are a couple:

• National Center for Homeless Education - https://nche.ed.gov/     
• California Homeless Education Technical Assistance Centers - https://www.hetac.org/

If I can answer any questions or assist your school in any way, please feel free to reach out to me.

Erin Burger
Homeless and Education Support Liaison
Trinity County Office of Education
(530) 623-2861 ext. 261
eburger@tcoek12.org

https://www.hetac.org/

https://nche.ed.gov/

https://schoolhouseconnection.org/