What is an effective way for a school to support a student experiencing homelessness and their family?

• A. Provide resources of support and give the family a list of resources and provide support for the family.
• B. Exclude the student from activities and withhold resource information.
• C. Assign extra homework to compensate for disruption.
• D. Require the family to relocate to access services.

Answer: (A)

Supporting students experiencing homelessness and their families means connecting them with the right resources, removing barriers to enrollment and attendance, and keeping schooling stable. An effective approach is for the school to provide a coordinated set of supports and help the family access services—such as working with the district homeless liaison, assisting with enrollment, arranging transportation, ensuring meals and school supplies, and linking to counseling or community programs. This helps the student stay engaged in learning, maintain attendance, and reduce stress, while treating the family with respect and support.

This approach is preferable because it directly addresses practical needs that often disrupt schooling—like housing instability or transportation—so the child can participate and learn. By contrast, excluding the student from activities, withholding resource information, piling on extra homework, or requiring relocation to access services would increase barriers and harm the student’s sense of belonging and educational progress.