Valentine Grams by HEP

Be familiar with common characteristics of students experiencing homelessness including:

• Enrollment at multiple schools, lack of records, gaps in learning, and poor/ inconsistent attendance.
• Poor hygiene, unmet medical/dental needs, wearing the same clothes repeatedly fatigue.

Social and behavioral challenges, such as:

• Extreme shyness, withdrawal, or aggression.
• Clinginess
• Difficulty with peer and/ or adult relationships.
• Poor attention span.
• Anxiety late in the school day.
• Lack of participation in field trips and/or afterschool activities.
• Lack of school supplies, etc.

What to Do

• Make the student feel welcome.
• If not enrolled, don’t let them leave! Enroll immediately.
• Students have 30 days from the date of enrollment to provide documents.
• Maintain the child’s privacy & complete the Student Residency Questionnaire (SRQ.)
• After identified, the student and/or parent can request assistance until June 30th of the school year.
• Submit any Request for Materials and/or Transportation to the Homeless Education Program (HEP).
• Contact HEP for additional support or information about local and school resources.
• If you or someone you know is experiencing a homeless crisis, please call 1-888-411-6802 (Homeless Crisis Hot Line).

The Homeless Education Program (HEP) has established and maintains Drop-In Centers at several comprehensive high schools within the Dallas Independent School District in support of the district's effort to increase the number of homeless students who graduate from high school.

The Drop-In Centers provide shelf-stable food, backpacks, school supplies, uniforms, and hygiene items for our homeless youth. As an added incentive, the Drop-In Centers provide students with presentations from agencies to address college choice and college admission, new industries, and career opportunities for students who graduate high school, and interactive activities focused on their needs as adolescents and academic success once a week.

For more detailed information on upcoming presentations at each drop-in center location, please visit the drop-in center field on our website named Drop-In Centers. There you will find each drop-in center location with its specific school contact.