USA Statistics

In His Arms facts on homeless children:

Estimates for the number of homeless children, not including runaways, in the United States range from 68,000-750,000+. (Linehan, 1992: Wells, 1990). The most commonly used estimate is 45O,OOO homeless children live in America. There are an estimated 150 million children who call the streets of the worlds home. (UNICEF, 1998). Over the past decade the 'number of homeless people in America has increased by as much as 500%. (Blunk, 1992)

An International Union of Gospel Missions survey from October 1992 revealed:

a: 26,000 people checked into 240 evangelical rescue missions on one night, an 18% increase over 1991

b: 51% of the people helped were 35 years old younger.

c: 54% were minorities

d: 47% had been homeless less than one year (Moody, 1993).

(The homeless are no longer the elderly wino, they are a totally new population of women & children.)

In 1987 homeless families had grown to comprise 1/3 of the total homeless population, 2/3's of these families are headed by a single parent, usually a mother who is an average age of 27 years. (Waxman., 1987). Figures show homeless families comprise as much as 40% of the total homeless population. Statistics indicate that 52% of homeless children are preschoolers. 36% are elementary school age and 12% are in junior & senior high. (Children & Youth, Report to Congressional Committees, 1989). (Over half of all homeless children are preschool age - a generation is growing up as never before.)

Within the family and the educational system barriers prevent 28-50% of homeless children from attending school on a regular basis. (National law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, 1991). Just over 113 of homeless children can be found in urban shelters or hotels, another 1/3 can be found in suburban and rural areas, with the remaining 1/3 divided between churches, sleeping in abandoned buildings, in cars or public places and various other settings. (Transitional housing is not included in this statistic.) (Children and Youths, 1989).

In an attempt to understand the traumatic affects of homelessness on children, researchers and psychologists have found that the same diagnosis used to describe the affects of war on veterans and refugees, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is appropriate. (Homeless children are already in Satan's domain. Unless Christians slip into the enemy's territory and present the gospel to these precious children, they stand little chance of escaping their parent's lifestyle.)

Homeless children are not taught to live by the 10 Commandments.

They are taught:

a: To pick pockets for mom's drug money

b: Adultery is OK, since mom is with a new partner, sometimes daily

c: To lie to stay out of trouble or get what they want

d: To boldly beg for what someone else has

e: To live by the rifles they know, street rules, which say: do what it takes to get what you want, even kill, because there are no consequences.

One family (single mother & children) living on the streets of America 1992-1995:

a: The 17 year old son was already in prison.

b: The 16 year old daughter had two babies and lived with her boyfriend's family.

c: The 14 year old son stabbed an elderly gentleman For his welfare check and is now in prison.

d: The 8 year old daughter lived on the streets with her morn until she was struck by a car, hospitalized for two months in traction and then placed into foster care.

e: The 6 year old son asked Jesus into his heart while living on the streets.

f: The 4 year old son exhibited signs of PTSD, He also asked Jesus into his heart yet he continued to pick pockets for his mother.

g: The mother miscarried and not long after gave birth to another baby

h: Mother and baby were discharged from the hospital to continue living in an unstable lifestyle. (Unless we take the gospel to the children. where they live, they do not know that Jesus truly loves them. They have no future or hope.)

In 1780 England, Robert Raikes recognized the degradation of the poor and sought to improve their moral character. The adults were not open to the gospel so he enlisted volunteers to go to the streets and find the children to train them in the Bible. He believed that the salvation for those hardest to reach might be gained through reaching their children first. After three years, Sunday school as we know it today was born.

Estimates of homeless children by state in the 1990 census:

Arkansas 5,354 based upon a rough estimate.

Colorado 3,214 based Upon a 1990 University of Colorado study.

Mississippi 1,526 based upon those schools which returned an attendance survey.

Minnesota 14,885 based upon a variety of statewide surveys.

Texas 20,942 based upon a one night count at a homeless shelters

Utah stated that 4,894 homeless children resided in 31 shelters in 1991. (Utah, 5/1992).

The Hawaii State Plan for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth stated an estimated 3,028 homeless children lived in the state in 1990. In one year, over 450 of these homeless children participated in a weekly Bible Club led by a few women from a local church. At least 90% of the children asked Jesus into their heart before they moved on.