Homeless NYC Kids Left Without Devices Needed For Remote Learning

NEW YORK, NY – As health officials continue to urge New Yorkers to stay home to help stop the spread of the new coronavirus and New York City students have begun remote learning, hundreds of homeless students are still waiting to receive the devices that will allow them to connect to their classes.

On Tuesday, Win NYC, the largest provider of family shelters and supportive housing in New York City, tweeted that children at the group's shelter and housing facilities had not yet received their iPads, and therefore could not begin learning remotely.

As of Tuesday, none of the Win NYC families who filled out the Department of Education remote learning device survey signaling they were in need of devices in order for their students to learn remotely have received iPads, according to Christine Quinn, Win President and CEO.

Some Win children who attend schools in the city that distributed laptops to students were able to go to their schools and collect the laptops, but those laptops only work when connected to WiFi. Shelters in New York City do not have WiFi.

"We either have children with nothing, or children with laptops that do not work," Quinn said. "We do not have a firm date on when we are going to get the iPads."

There are 1,400 children at Win who are expecting to receive iPads with cellular packages.

"Children are coming up to Win staff saying 'School starts today, why aren't we part of it, why did they forget us?'" Quinn said.

"These are children who have seen nothing but negative in most of their lives. They've been in homeless shelters, they've been through domestic violence, they've been through sexual assault, they've been through procedures where institutions of this city and state have turned their back on them. And now their mayor promises them that they are a priority and they are in fact forgotten – that's not what a child who's lived through trauma needs."

During Mayor Bill DeBlasio's press conference on Monday afternoon, Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza discussed the beginning of remote learning for New York City schools and acknowledged the technology gap between school communities.

"We are working quickly to make sure every family that needs a device gets a device," Carranza said. "You can expect if you've already filled out that survey to receive an email in the coming days on the next steps and if you haven't yet received a device, don't worry, you will receive a device."

The city is prioritizing devices for students who live in public housing, come from low-income families, or are homeless and anticipate distributing 25,000 devices over the next week, Carranza said. Some schools are also distributing materials on paper.

In addition to not having received the necessary devices to participate in remote learning, Quinn said she is concerned Win children will be set back both in terms of learning and because it will trigger past emotional trauma. Children who have suffered such trauma need consistency and routine, she said.

"A child who's lived through trauma needs commitment made, commitment met, I see you, I affirm you, I want you, you are part of this city," Quinn said. "That's not what happened."

Carranza urged families in need of devices who have not filled out the remote learning device survey to do so online or call 718-935-5100 in order to receive a device. So far, the city has handed out approximately 175,000 laptops, iPads and Chromebooks and Carranza said the city is "on pace" to continue distributing the 300,000 iPads to students in need.

There are 1.1 million students in the New York city school system.

Information about remote learning for New York City students can be found at schools.nyc.gov/learn-at-home.