Last yeat the Tuesday Morning Optimists got a list from Janesville teachers for homeless students without boots and snow pants. Ann Forbeck is a social worker in the elementary schools and she helped us go from store to store trying to fill the list. It was sad that there are so many homeless students in Janesville and it keeps getting worse.

The 9,300 homeless figure refers to the entire state of Wisconsin, freebird007. A state of nearly six million people and over two million households.
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If, as you claim, you are a former member of the school board, you would have some idea of how federal and state money may be used in a school district budget. There are legal restrictions on this money and it may not be placed in a general fund. Misusing it would mean at the very least that the money would be required to be returned. The school district will have to account for every dollar and show that it was used as the legislation intended.
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You also don't get to make up your own terms in an argument, otherwise there is no possibility of a reasonable debate. "You say toMAYto, I say toMAHto" is not a sufficient counterargument. Homelessness is well-defined by both federal laws and regulations and many years of academic study.
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Now you are issuing childish threats to disclose information about an individual. That really does show what sort of person you are, more than you are apparently aware.

I know who you are and believe me you are not worth replying too! your closet is not clean!!
You really do not want me to reply!

So in order to be considered homeless you must be sleeping outdoors? Sorry, but that is not the way the federal government defines homelessness and since this is a federally funded program, it really doesn't matter how YOU want to define homelessness. To the federal government you are considered homeless if you are in a shelter, staying with friends, on the street, etc.
As for the expansion of the program, it is because there is more money available now. There has never been enough money to cover the need.
And no the state does not take away children just because the family is homeless. Saying they do is either being ignorant or a liar.
As for comparing resumes, I am on the Board of Directors of ECHO working to help the less fortunate in the community for the last 5 years and you are supposedly a former School Board member who is spreading false information. Guess there is a reason you are not serving on the school board anymore.

There are programs to help these people and I agree there are some less fortunate but the fact is if the the child is not in a stable enviroment then the state needs to be aware to take control and help the family in housing. then they are not homeless. staying in shelters do not mean you are homeless, homeless is when you sleep outdoors. you term it a different way than I do and that is ok! it is nice to see people like you in the community, do not get me wrong but i do care but there is to much corruption going on to think that this program is working for the way it was intended to do, and yes I have been on the school board, need I say more!

I agree with MaryFan totally. They are not getting the money for the faculty! What a load of crap! Where did you hear that, freebird? Janesville has alot of homeless adults and children. I would worry more about echo and salvation army keeping their stimulus money then I would the school district. Used to work at a school and Mary is right. I used to provide things for bad off kids with my own money.

DCFS does not take children away from homeless families! DCFS only takes children away from abusive situations, and not providing food or shelter because you can't does not constitute abuse. Homeless people do not just live on the streets. Being legally classified as homeless means that you may be staying with friends or relatives, staying in a shelter, using motel vouchers, living in your vehicle or living on the street. When was the last time you hung out outside of House of Mercy and watched the homeless children playing outside or went inside and saw them playing in the playroom or watching TV in the family area? Or how about helping a child choose a backpack full of supplies at the ECHO school supply distribution and watching their face light up like they just won the lottery? These kids need help with transportation because they may be "living" on the other side of town from the school they are enrolled in and their family has no vehicle or bus money. It is disruptive to have them changing schools every month to both the students and the schools. Many of our Janesville public school teachers are helping their homeless students with clothing and personal care needs, often with their own funds. These kids are often identified as the teacher deals with students who are too tired or hungry to concentrate, don't have needed supplies, don't have a winter coat, and are being made fun of for wearing the same clothes 3 days in a row.

Well janesvillian I guess you would say that they use to only be 12 district that got help and now they doubled it. It seems to be working very well!!!! And ask yourself this question, How do they know that these people are homeless? Do not believe what you hear, there are some that are homeless but not 9,300 students, and if so where is DCFS at. They get money to make sure children have a safe eviroment and the schools are not turning them in! come on we are not stupid, they just want the money to pay the salaries of the faculty.

How can you conclude that it doesn't work if you don't have any idea what you're talking about?

am I missing something, how can you provide transportation to homeless people if you do not know where they are at, plus the state takes the child away to foster homes if the parent cannot provide a stable enviroment for them! What another way to get federal money for something like this that does not work,