Introduction Every child, homeless or not, has the right to a public school education that is equal to the standards of achievement that are available for all youths and children. As stated by the federal government, the fact that a child is homeless is not sufficient reason to keep them out of school. The definition of homeless youth is an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence (Boden, 2012). The current economic recession is a leading factor in the increase of homelessness among youths. In the past two years, there has been a 38% increase in the number of homeless youths (Boden, 2012). It is projected the recession will cause 2 million children to be homeless in the next two years (NAEHCY, 2012). Some parts of the United States have greater risks than others. In a state report card ranking of states with the greatest risk of homelessness (Bassuk et al, 2010), Missouri ranked amongst the bottom five percent of the 52 states, while Illinois was in the middle. The two states are responsible for 86,000 of the nation’s homeless (Bassuk et al, 2010). Missouri and Illinois must tap into current resources from the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to assist in providing education to homeless children. The Act documents legislation that requires schools to designate a liaison to identify homeless children. It provides funds for schools to provide education and transportation for the homeless (NAHECY, 2012). However, the program was not equipped for the economic crisis (Boden, 2012). The federal government has provided one-time additional funding for assistance in the monetary shortage of the funds. Because the United States is still in a recession, additional funding is necessary to honor the federal guidelines for educating homeless children. The current economic recession has caused an increased amount of homeless children in Missouri and Illinois leaving schools with the burden of educating the youths that suffer from additional health, emotional, and financial problems associated with homelessness without the appropriate funds or resources. If the federal government does not redefine existing legislation and distribute additional assistance, then every child’s right to an equal education is at risk. Homelessness: A Real National Issue Who is Homeless? A homeless child is one who does not have adequate sleeping arrangements. This definition includes children who are accompanied by a parent who is sharing housing with others, living in motels, emergency shelters, cars, or other public places (NAEHCY, 2010). One of the main reasons for the increase among accompanied homeless youths is the financial challenges facing parents and guardians. Since 2006, the American economy has suffered the collapse of financial institutions. The effects caused home foreclosures to increase for the past three years. Between 2005 and 2010, the foreclosure rate increased by 176% for Missouri and 94 % for Illinois increased to 194 % (State Report, 2010, p.33). Besides the collapsing housing market, unemployment continued to increase, thereby adversely affecting and lowering incomes among families. The Economic Downturn of 2009-2010 The economic do