Homeless Children Stats

1.5 MILLION = the number of children in America who go to sleep without a home each year

1 in 50 = an American child’s chances of experiencing homelessness in their lifetime

America’s Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness ,a report by the National Center on Family Homelessness , offers a snapshot view of child homelessness in America and a summary of the unique needs of homeless children.

Some disturbing statistics pulled directly from the National Center’s report :

• Hunger: Children without homes are twice as likely to experience hunger as other children. Two-thirds worry they won’t have enough to eat. More than one-third of homeless children report being forced to skip meals.
• Health: Homelessness makes children sick. Children who experience homelessness are more than twice as likely as middle class children to have moderate to severe acute and chronic health problems.
• Education: Homeless children are twice as likely as other children to repeat a grade in school, to be expelled or suspended, or to drop out of high school. At the end of high school, few homeless students are proficient in reading and math – and their estimated graduation rate is below 25%.

In addition, the report claims that homeless children “endure a lack of safety, comfort, privacy, reassuring routines, adequate health care, uninterrupted schooling, sustaining relationships, and a sense of community. These factors combine to create a life-altering experience that inflicts profound and lasting scars.”