Homelessness In Homeless Children

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Lost Minds Every night, David sleeps on a musky park bench, the cold air stinging his fingertips. Each morning, he wakes to the chatter of commuters, and spends his long days shamefully begging for loose change; beside those in an all too familiar position – their breath rank with alcohol and decay – their faces sunburnt and caked with filth. Some passers-by look away, not meeting his gaze; others look down at him with disgust. Born beneath a bridge to a mother cast out by society, this shame is all he’d ever known. As a child, he recalls the shelters his mother brought him to, providing a night or two before having to leave. His thoughts were consumed by whether or not he’ll have food in the morning, whether the bridge will be safe enough…show more content…
The overwhelming majority of homeless parents are single women, many of whom were homeless themselves as children. Homeless women face many obstacles to healthy pregnancies, such as chemical abuse, chronic and acute health problems, and lack of prenatal care. As infants and toddlers, homeless children are at risk for developmental problems, as environmental factors and improper care due to homeless families often being unable to pay for healthcare and housing must be taken into consideration. School age children often have incomplete if not nonexistent educations. As they grow older, the world of drug abuse grows to become a more and more attractive escape…show more content…
Homeless shelters may offer a temporary solution, but this simply isn’t enough to fix the problem. In Washington, D.C., statistics indicate that 63% of homeless people suffer from a lack of access to regular bathing. Another 58% within the same city are unable to obtain sufficient levels of sleep – even where shelters are an option. Consider this: if you were to live your life in exhaustion and filth, do you believe you would be able to function to your own potential? The homeless, children especially, are being allowed to become wasted minds. Minds are our most precious resource, why should we be allowing even one child to be uneducated? To allow the loss of imagination and wonder? And why should we allow another mind to fall into the vicious cycle of homelessness and

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