Helping Families Build a Back-to-School Routine
For most families, the school year is about getting back into a routine. For the families we serve, it’s about having the stability to create one.
The start of a new school year brings families back to familiar routines. Backpacks are packed, buses return, and parents settle back into the rhythm of the school year.
For families experiencing housing instability or homelessness, those routines can be much harder to maintain. When you’re worried about where you’ll sleep, how you’ll get to school, or whether there will be enough food on the table, everyday routines can quickly become everyday challenges.
At BEDS Plus, we’re helping families build the stability that makes those everyday routines possible. Through our Cicero Transitional Shelter, Family Bridge program, and other supportive services, families have a safe place to sleep, meals on the table, clothing, school supplies, transportation assistance, and other essentials that help make a routine possible. A reliable meal may seem like a small part of the school day, but it’s one of the most important routines of all. When children don’t have consistent access to nutritious food, the effects can reach far beyond the lunchroom.
The effects of food insecurity on school-aged children are well documented and can include:
- Poor child development and learning capacity
- Difficulty concentrating and retaining information
- Increased risk of illness and chronic health conditions
- Lower educational achievement and future earning potential
As another school year begins, here’s to building routines that help every child learn, grow, and succeed. May it be “lit,” full of plenty of “brain gain,” and maybe just a little less “cringe.”