March 20, 2025
Sharing our model of care in Orange County, Sacramento, and Washington DC
By Dr. Shelby Feliciano-Sabala, Chief Partnership Officer
Lifting the invisibility of our kids experiencing homelessness and advocating for their needs is an organizational priority at Project Hope Alliance. When we know what the issue is, we can come together to take action.
Over the past two months, our CEO Jennifer Friend and I have attended The National Network for Youth conference in Washington DC; presented at the Ensure Justice Conference in Costa Mesa, and most recently served as a panelist at the California Charter School Association Conference in Sacramento. Each opportunity allowed us to share our model of care, the successful outcomes of our youth, and the importance of working together as a community to improve the lives of kids experiencing homelessness, their families, and our community.
• National Network for Youth conference (Washington DC): This conference brought together school administrators, policy makers, nonprofit leaders, and youth advocates committed to sharing best practices, learnings, and advocating for some of the most vulnerable kids in our communities: the 1 million+ students experiencing homelessness across our country.
During the week long conference, Jennifer and I met with our Southern California elected officials and their staff including Representatives Dave Min, Ted Lieu, and Derek Tran to discuss youth homelessness, the work of Project Hope Alliance, and how we can work together to improve life outcomes for our kids. All staff members emphasized how important it was for us to spend time with them and how much they appreciated hearing our youths’ stories and understanding the need for support. We also joined the California Delegation to advocate for our kids on Capitol Hill. In our delegation, we were joined by youth providers throughout the State of California along with an assistant superintendent, UC Berkeley professor who leads a center of research focused on youth experiencing homelessness, along with current youth experiencing homelessness. Together, we shared stories of our youth, advocated for the critical funding needed to support youth experiencing homelessness, and advocated for a single definition of homelessness* to ensure we have accurate data needed to address the issue.
On the last day of the conference, Jennifer, in partnership with SchoolHouse Connection’s executive director Barbara Duffield and the McKinney-Vento liaison for Kansas City Public Schools, co-led a workshop sharing strategies to reduce chronic absenteeism for youth experiencing homelessness. We also spent time with John McLaughlin, the US Department of Education’s lead for the McKinney-Vento program to discuss education, McKinney-Vento policy, and our hope for the future.
• Ensure Justice (Costa Mesa): This conference brought together community agencies, law enforcement, educators, and law professionals to discuss, learn, and share best practices for how to keep youth safe from potential threats online and help deter human trafficking.
During the conference, I participated in a plenary discussion on how to keep vulnerable youth experiencing homelessness safe online. Often when we speak of online safety, we focus our educational outreach on parents; however, our youth experiencing homelessness live in transient situations and may not have the same support systems as their housed peers. Understanding what youth homelessness looks like can inform practices to keep all youth safe online.
• California Charter School Association (CCSA) conference (Sacramento): The CCSA hosts the largest charter school conference in the state. Educators from across California met to explore how to support youth in charter schools, learn best practices for unique educational experiences, and be inspired to implement educational programs.
I participated in a panel discussion titled: “Hidden in Plain Sight: Serving Students Experiencing Homelessness, Foster Youth, and LGBTQIA+ with Excellence”. My fellow panelists and I discussed the unique experiences of vulnerable youth and how educators and providers can support youth through empathetic, compassionate, and tangible strategies. I also participated in a student-led podcast titled, “All Tied Up”. Students from 7th-12th grade interviewed the panelists, asking about our career trajectories, preferences for music, and advice to young people. I left the conference feeling refreshed, inspired, and grateful to be able to advocate for our youth while meeting other leaders committed to the same work.
Supporting our kids in Orange County is of utmost importance as is the need to lift the invisibility of the 1 million+ children and teens experiencing homelessness in America.
We know youth homelessness looks different than adult homelessness. Our kids and families do not live in homeless encampments; their living situations are transient and constantly change. We know our model of care is effective, efficient, and can be replicated across the country. When youth advocates from every corner of the nation come together, we can share best practices, our learning, our challenges, our hopes, and, together, continue to advocate for our kids.
