Children and youth experiencing homelessness are among the students with the greatest chronic absenteeism and the lowest achievement scores.

The barriers impacting these students' attendance and success are significant, and not easily overcome by schools and teachers working in isolation. Birth through age 8 are critical years for establishing a strong academic foundation and building habits of attendance and behavior. The parent/caregiver plays a critical role in supporting their child's attendance and success, and they are their child's first teacher. It is critical that we build trust, belonging, and connectedness with families. Educational success is integral to breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty and homelessness. Strong community relationships create a safety net our families so desperately need.

When a student feels safe and connected in their community, attends school regularly, and graduates high school, they are better equipped to find a pathway out of poverty.

The Improving School Attendance Collaborative (ISA) is an innovative model that exists to remove barriers to school attendance and school success for families experiencing transition and homelessness. This bold approach recognizes that solving an issue like generational poverty or homelessness requires complex, collaborative solutions and systemic change. Through the support of school districts and community partners we support families holistically using a multi-generational approach. We provide intensive case management and wrap-around supports to improve the overall health and wellbeing and stability of families. In addition to working with families, we engage school staff in a Professional Learning Series in five 2-hour sessions each school year to create better relationships with families experiencing homelessness and to refine practices to support trauma-sensitive classrooms, with the overall goal of improving family stability and putting systems in place to ensure that every child experiencing transition has an equal chance for success in school and beyond.