How to Help Homeless Children

Homeless children are among today's disenfranchised populations. I have worked as a counselor to the homeless and have seen children mentally suffer just as much as their parents did. Homeless children face additional stressors that may impact them in the future, even if their parents or legal guardians get into a more stable environment. Today's tough economy can make it hard to consistently provide food or money to homeless children and families, therefore adding to the stress. Once the holidays are over, the gift giving and compassionate care can wane.

Fortunately you can still provide a sense of security to homeless children and give them moments of relief in an otherwise dire situation. While their parents try to get the family back into stability, you can keep their minds healthy by giving your time and your technology.

Play buddies. Homeless children are often in "survival" mode just as their parents are. As such, they may have to take on adult responsibilities like getting food or even finding paid work. Giving them age-appropriate play buddies for a moment or two a day can de-stress their brains and allow them to be children, even for a limited time. Many times all that's needed is someone their age to spend time with, be it on the playground or in a room reading books. Try to be as consistent as possible so that the children have something to look forward to. Regular play dates with your own children can teach them a lesson about human compassion and valuing what you have.

Basic tutoring. Even homeless kids that go to school every day can find themselves academically lacking due to frequent moves and absences and general survival stress. A lack of teachers due to budget cut increases classroom sizes, so the one-on-one care homeless children need isn't always there. Whether you are a professional educator or not, providing homeless children basic tutoring in reading or math can help bolster their academic skills and confidence in the classroom. Keep the lessons light and fun so you can provide stress relief and education at the same time. Try not to involve too much media- the personal attention may help the lessons learned hit home.

Rechargeable devices. If you've upgraded your phones, music and media players and have old ones lying around, they can be of use to homeless children. Give them rechargeable media such as lithium battery-powered mp3 players or even old remote control cars. These can be healthy distractions that last a long time and won't require homeless children to find or buy alkaline batteries; they only need to find an electrical outlet and a charger. Rechargeable media devices with storage capability can also allow them to save important information and documents, like emergency phone numbers and even important health information.