LEXINGTON, Ky. — There’s an alarming number of students in Fayette County Public Schools who are experiencing homelessness

As it currently stands, 453 students are experiencing homelessness. By the end of the last school year, there were a total of 923 students who were experiencing homelessness. Those numbers come from FCPS.

What You Need To Know

  • There are currently 453 students in Fayette County Public Schools who are experiencing homelessness. The majority of them are doubled up, which refers to shared living arrangements

  • Fayette schools' McKinney-Vento Program works with families experiencing homelessness to find stable housing for students

  • Ginny Ramsey with the Catholic Action Center announced an initiative to raise money for the McKinney-Vento Program

  • The money raised will go towards things like helping families with application fees when searching for a place to rent

The district’s McKinney-Vento Program Manager, T.C. Johnson, fears that number could be even higher by the end of this school year and says there will most likely be over 500 students experiencing homelessness by Christmas.

“This is a growing crisis in our community that desires our attention and so I cannot tell you all enough that we need to support our children and youth,” said Johnson at a news conference. “It’s our responsibility.”

The McKinney-Vento Program supports houseless students by working to eliminate some barriers that make it difficult for them to focus on their education.

In response to the findings, Ginny Ramsey with the Catholic Action Center announced the Give Kids a Home Campaign, which will raise money for the McKinney-Vento Program at FCPS.

“Let’s give them the resources they need to help these students go from homelessness to having a home,” said Ramsey.

“Our federal dollars only go so far, so with their support it’s going to help us be able to reach and help some more of our families find housing,” said Johnson.

Donations for the Give Kids a Home Campaign will be collected starting today until Jan. 31, 2024.

You can donate here to find the link to the PayPal portal or mail a check or money order to Give Kids a Home, P.O. Box 324, Lexington, KY 40588.

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