Imagine a young child growing, learning, and trying to move on in life to succeed in the future. For an “ordinary” child, this can be a challenge, but “everyday” obstacles can be overcome. For thousands of children in the United States, this dream is almost impossible to achieve. These children are part of the homeless population spread across the United States. Very often, these individuals try to hide this major secret from the rest of the world, but homelessness is very widespread among these young people today. Various problems arise in the lives of these people that others could not even begin to understand. Homelessness affects children at all stages of life, physically, mentally and emotionally. Homelessness is a negatively stereotyped issue that the housed population cannot fully understand. This term is often overlooked among children in the United States (Jewel 1). This is a much scarier problem than many people realize. Our streets today are full of children and adolescents left to their own devices because of the situations in which they find themselves (1). Many of these young people accept “refugees” in places such as schools, shelters and abandoned buildings. These places serve as places of safety for these children (1). In the United States, like other children, they try to achieve the “American dream” (Bender 16). To make these goals a reality, these young adults and children will do whatever it takes. During this process, many homeless children resort to drugs and violence (16). These and other activities become important to these people because they feel like there is nothing and no one else to comfort them. Statistically, homelessness ranks very high...... middle of paper ......ct 2009. .Haugen, David M. and Box, Matthew J. Poverty. Farmington Hills, MI, AL: Greenhaven, 2006. “Homeless Children (Brief Article).” America. 181.15 (1999): 3. Student edition. NC wise owl. Mallard Creek Media Center. October 12, 2009. .Jewel. “Life on the streets is no life for children (homeless children).” The United States Today. 136.2750 (2007): 56(3). Student edition. NC wise owl. Mallard Creek Media Center. October 12, 2009. .This is a primary source because Jewel shares her personal experience with these same issues. She presents information about how homelessness has affected her and how it affects other children.Kingsbury, Kathleen. “Keeping Homeless Children in School.” Time Magazine. (March 12 2009). 1-2.