Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness
State and Federal law define “homeless children and youth” as “individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” Parents, Educators/Teachers & Students in Action (PESA) is the leading community-based organization providing services to homeless children and youth to break the cycle of homelessness.
The cycle of poverty can be extended to include a concurrent cycle of homelessness:
Chronic absenteeism is a key indicator of adult homelessness. If a homeless youth does not attend school, they will not graduate high school. Without a high school diploma, they cannot obtain essential job skills, putting them at greater risk for negative employment outcomes, adult homelessness, criminality, substance abuse, and mental health issues.
PESA's Collaborative Attendance Assistance Program (CAAP) utilizes Education Life Coaches (ELCs) who are achieving remarkable results with homeless youth. ELCs meet with homeless youth multiple times to build a relationship. The youth then participate in a needs assessment, resulting in a tailored treatment/education plan that includes a career pathway.
The results have been outstanding:
80% of homeless youth show increased attendance.
76% of homeless youth have a career goal before completing the program.
An additional 20% are exploring their options.
Participants report a 79% overall increase in their ability to self-reflect after completing the program.
Please consider donating to our program so that we can reach more homeless youth. As a Countywide CBO, we are always in need of additional funds to support the homeless youth on our waiting list.
