This paper explains that, according to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act, homeless children are defined
as those children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including children and youths sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing or economic hardship; have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings; are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
migratory children. The author points out that homeless students face a range of unique mental challenges, which compound their fiscal challenges, such as lesser social skills than their peers with homes because of their shame about living in a shelter and being homeless or because of the frequent moves their families make. The paper describes the Yellow School Bus Project in Durham, New Hampshire, which helps meet the physical needs of homeless students by providing them with school supplies and clothes so that they can feel good about themselves and succeed in school. The paper relates the need for school-based
counseling for these homeless students. Table of Contents Introduction Homeless Students Overview The Yellow School Bus Project Three Reasons to Provide School-Based Counseling for Homeless Students Conclusion