DES MOINES, Iowa — In Des Moines Public Schools, hundreds of students are experiencing homelessness, and November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month.
With extra awareness this month, DMPS is constantly working to support students experiencing homelessness.
Lyn Wilson is the DMPS homeless liaison.
She works to ensure that students experiencing homelessness still have access to a quality education.
Wilson said, this year, there are 735 students and families in the district who are experiencing homelessness. That's fewer than last year.
However, she said working to provide support to all students is important as there are likely many more students experiencing homelessness.
"Youth homelessness is really one of those invisible problems. We've got so many kids that we do identify as homeless,” Wilson said. “But there are just as many that have not been identified that we need to be able to reach out to and support them."
Social support is still necessary to continue reducing that number.
Wilson said things that can help families and youth experiencing homelessness include gas gift cards, mechanic services and access to food pantries and hygiene products.
"Support services are so important,” Wilson said. “We've got to be able to give those resources to family so they can get back up on their feet and become housed and stable."
Wilson said most schools within the district have working food pantries.
Students and families can utilize the pantries at no cost and as often as needed.
Under the federal McKinney Vento Act, children experiencing homelessness have the right to be enrolled in school and stay in the school they were in before becoming homeless — even if they move out of the district and take transportation to their schools.