Louise Slaughter: “I rise in support of this en bloc amendment offered by my colleague from Michigan, Mr. Kildee. Among the provisions…”

“I rise in support of this en bloc amendment offered by my colleague from Michigan, Mr. Kildee. Among the provisions included in the amendment is one which will help homeless children to receive the high quality education they need to escape their impoverished circumstances. School is often the only stable element in the lives of these young people, and it is critical for us to support that stability. H.R. 6 reauthorizes programs which I originally sponsored in legislation passed in 1990. Our efforts have borne fruit--while reports in 1990 indicated that half of homeless children did not attend school regularly, current estimates indicate that the figure has dropped to a third or less. One Department of Education study showed the number as low as 18 percent. We in this House should be proud of that success. The legislation before us improves the program in a number of important ways. H.R. 6 clarifies enforcement and accountability, and promotes greater flexibility for States and local educational agencies in carrying out the goal of helping homeless youngsters realize their potential.”