{"id":107684,"date":"2026-02-08T19:05:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T03:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.seattleschild.com\/?p=107684"},"modified":"2026-02-08T19:17:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T03:17:48","slug":"support-homeless-students-washington","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.seattleschild.com\/support-homeless-students-washington\/","title":{"rendered":"A critical chance to support homeless students | Op-Ed"},"content":{"rendered":"

In order for students to be ready for learning, their basic physical, social, and emotional needs must be met. When these needs go unmet, students can struggle to stay engaged in school or even regularly attend school. This is especially true for students experiencing homelessness, who often don\u2019t know where they will sleep week-to-week or if they will have access to enough food to sustain their nutritional needs.<\/p>\n

Outside of the years of the pandemic, the number of Washington students experiencing homelessness has seen steady increases since the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction began monitoring the number annually.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As the resources needed to support the increased needs of students experiencing homelessness have grown in recent years, state and federal supports have become increasingly uncertain.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2025, federal-level decisions have introduced significant uncertainty for programs supporting students experiencing homelessness:<\/p>\n