The Foreclosure Prevention bill (H.R. 3221) passed by the Senate on Saturday includes an amendment that will help children affected by the foreclosure crisis stay in school and get educational assistance.
The amendment authorizes funds for school districts through the McKinney-Vento homeless education program to help ensure that students who are forced to move from their homes do not also have to leave their schools.
"It is unfair to let these children float from one unfamiliar school to another through no fault of their own and against the will of their parents," said Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., one of the amendment’s sponsors.
"When they are abruptly uprooted from the schools where they have formed a connection to the teachers, learning material and classmates, their development can be severely stunted."
A recent report by First Focus and The Brookings Institution found that nearly 2 million children will be directly impacted by the mortgage crisis.
The legislation, which also passed through the House last week, has moved to President Bush’s desk, where he is expected to sign it into law this week.
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