SchoolHouse Connection

06/02/2026

When a young child experiences homelessness, the systems around them can help create stability. Thank you to The BUILD Initiative for creating space for this critical conversation. Last month, Erin Patterson, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships at SchoolHouse Connection, presented at BUILD’s state convening on the importance of early childhood systems in addressing child and family homelessness.

We were honored to be part of the conversation, and encouraged by the thoughtful questions states are asking about how to strengthen systems, remove barriers, and better support children and families experiencing homelessness.

Early childhood systems have a powerful role to play in connecting families to stability, care, and opportunity during some of their most vulnerable moments.

Special thanks to SEARCH Homeless Services and Tracy Duarte for your sharp insights and continued leadership on behalf of children and families experiencing homelessness.

06/01/2026

“SchoolHouse Connection gave me a voice to advocate for other students.” Through our Youth Leadership and Scholarship Program, 2022 Scholar Juan found support that helped him transition to college, connect with resources, and step into advocacy for other students facing the barriers that homelessness creates.

The program is more than a scholarship. It supports young people as they graduate high school, transition into college, and grow as leaders whose lived expertise can help change systems.

⏰ This year's application cycle ends tomorrow, June 2nd! To learn more and help students apply by midnight, visit SchoolHouseConnection.org/Scholarship.

05/30/2026

You may not always get to see the impact of your work. But consider this your reminder: It is real. It is significant. And it can change the course of a child’s entire life.

For everyone supporting babies, infants, toddlers, and young children experiencing homelessness — in child care, Early Head Start, Head Start, schools, shelters, programs, and communities — your work matters.

As SHC's Sarah Vrabic shares, “The benefits can feel intangible. But can be significant across their entire lives.”

An infant or toddler who stays connected to care today is better prepared for kindergarten.

A child who has stability in the earliest years can be better set up to graduate high school.

And that same child experiencing homelessness who receives support now can carry that foundation into adulthood, work, and life.

05/29/2026

When a young person needs medical care, they should not be turned away because no one is sure who can consent to their care. Especially when they are navigating homelessness on their own.

🏥 We recently updated and expanded one of our most consistently accessed resources: Minor Medical Consent Laws by State 👉 Comment "SEND" for the link DM!

This state-by-state guide helps schools, providers, advocates, and youth-serving professionals quickly understand when minors may be able to consent to care on their own, including:

• General healthcare

• Mental health services

• Substance use treatment

• Infectious disease care

• Rights for minors living independently, including unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness

💯 These laws are constantly evolving, and having clear, up-to-date information can help youth get connected to timely care when they need it most.

Explore the updated resource and share it with anyone supporting young people navigating healthcare without a parent or guardian present. 👉 Comment "SEND" for the link DM!

05/28/2026

Powerful piece from our Scholar Harper in Youth Today. Read and pass along to your network!

Although new federal and state student homelessness support policies are needed, colleges must do more now to ensure students don’t fall through the cracks.

05/28/2026

“More of a community rather than a scholarship.” For Ashly, a 2025 SchoolHouse Connection Scholar, the Youth Leadership and Scholarship Program meant having one-on-one support before college began—support that helped her complete the FAFSA, apply for scholarships, and navigate financial aid challenges when they came up.

For students experiencing homelessness, getting to college is only one part of the journey. Having trusted people to turn to can make all the difference.

Our program begins the year before students start college, supporting scholars through graduation, the transition into higher education, and the challenges that come with staying enrolled.

If you know a student who will be going into their senior year this fall with plans to begin college, community college, or trade school in the 2027–2028 academic year, please share this opportunity.

⏰ Apply by (next week!) June 2, 2026: schoolhouseconnection.org/scholarship

05/27/2026

Young children experiencing homelessness are too often missed....until the barriers show up in development, enrollment, or school readiness. This series is about what helps *before* families fall through the cracks.

Join SchoolHouse Connection for the next two sessions in our Small Children, Big Impact lunch-and-learn series, spotlighting practical strategies to better identify, enroll, and support young children experiencing homelessness and their families.

🗓️ Upcoming sessions:

📌 June 2: Learn how Michigan’s Maternal Infant Health Program is using home visiting, service delivery, and early data collection to prioritize families experiencing homelessness.

📌 June 16: Hear how TrainingGrounds, Inc. in New Orleans is helping families access play opportunities, parent education, and critical community resources through WE PLAY centers.

▶️ Missed the first two sessions? Replays are available now, featuring Playtime Project and New Legacy Charter School.

Register for the next sessions and catch up on the replays: https://schoolhouseconnection.org/webinar/small-children-big-impact-whats-working-for-young-children-experiencing-homelessness-series

05/25/2026

You may have heard us say that our scholarship deadline is fast-approaching on June 2nd! But what exactly is our Youth Leadership and Scholarship Program all about? Hear from Jordyn and Roshanda!

At SchoolHouse Connection, we're dedicated to walking with Scholars every step of their journey, nurturing long-lasting relationships and empowering students to and through higher education and beyond.

Director Jordyn Roark and Senior Program Manager Roshanda Pinson share foundational insights about the program including:

👉 Academic and personal support
👉 Leadership and advocacy opportunities tailored to each Scholar
👉 A commitment to celebrating every achievement
👉 Providing continuous, individualized support
👉 Building peer support network

Learn more about the program at SchoolHouseConnection.org/Scholarship.

And be sure to pass this along to any youth you work with! Deadline is June 2!

05/21/2026

The student who is late again may not need another warning. They may need transportation. A safer way to get to school. A staff member who knows how to connect attendance concerns with McKinney-Vento support. Those are the gaps this new toolkit is designed to help close. 👉 https://bit.ly/4dzIvRY

More than 1,400 educators, McKinney-Vento liaisons, attendance staff, student support professionals, and partners joined our recent webinar with Attendance Works on improving attendance for students experiencing homelessness.

💯 The response was clear: practitioners need tools they can download, adapt, and use right away.

Our new LEA Toolkit brings together adaptable templates, sample materials, and practical resources from urban, suburban, and rural districts across the country.

As one participant shared:

“These ready-made documents mean we don’t have to start from scratch. We can adapt them to fit the needs of our district, our students, and our families.”

🧰 Practitioners are already planning to use it to:

• Build shared ownership across attendance and McKinney-Vento teams
• Use attendance data to guide individualized student supports
• Strengthen family and youth outreach
• Address transportation barriers, including gas cards and vouchers
• Expand capacity through success coaches, needs assessments, and partnerships

Whether your LEA is just beginning to connect attendance and McKinney-Vento work, or looking to strengthen existing systems, this toolkit can help your team take the next practical step.

Explore the toolkit in our new hub. 👉 https://bit.ly/4dzIvRY

05/21/2026

📢 Funding Alert: A new $7 million federal funding opportunity could help schools, colleges, and communities prevent youth homelessness before it becomes a crisis. Here's what we know.

The Administration for Children and Families - ACF has forecasted the Primary Prevention Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program, which will fund strategies and services for youth ages 12–26 with a high likelihood of experiencing homelessness or housing instability.

This funding is especially relevant for communities supporting youth who are:

• At risk of human trafficking
• Struggling with substance use or mental health concerns
• Transitioning out of foster care, juvenile justice, or residential behavioral health systems

Who's eligible? Public institutions of higher education, independent school districts, and state, county, city, and tribal governments.

🔍 Key details:

• Expected awards: 14
• Award range: $350,000–$500,000
• Estimated post date: June 22, 2026
• Estimated application due date: July 22, 2026

This is currently a forecast, with the formal announcement expected June 22. Applicants must also include youth with lived experience in project design and implementation, including establishing local youth advisory boards.

💯 For school districts, colleges, and public agencies trying to move from crisis response to prevention, this is one to watch.

📌 View the opportunity and save the date: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/ac6f1f13-944b-4709-833c-0cc3c46877c6