Personal Hygiene: the Not-So- S ilent Subject in Schools

1. Personal Hygiene: the Not-So-Silent Subject in Schools LaKendra Moffett, School-Community Health Educator India Chapman, School-Community Health Educator

2. Objective • By the end of this presentation attendees will be more aware of issues children face regarding personal hygiene. • By the end of this presentation attendees will have resources to be able to address issues related to personal hygiene in school settings.

3. Just the Facts • About 15 million children (21%) in the United States live in families with income below the federal poverty threshold. • Research shows that on average families need twice that level to cover basic expenses. Using this standard 43% of children live in low income families • Poverty rate in Missouri 23.8% higher than the national average of 14% Nccp.org Childstats.gov

4. Just The Facts • People who are homeless in the United States experience significant barriers to self-care and personal hygiene, including limited access to clean showers, laundry and hand washing facilities. • Missouri ranked tenth in the nation for number of students who are homeless during the 2013-2014 school year, according to a U.S. Department of Education report. • For the 2014-2015 academic year 5,085 students identified as homeless, 21% of the total population. Stltoday.com Childstats.gov

9. The McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act • Federal legislation that ensures enrollment and educational stability for children and youth who are homeless. The act requires schools to enroll children and youth who are homeless immediately, even if they lack normally required documents like immunization records and proof of residence. • The act requires schools to provide transportation to and from school • Families often come to them to self-report they are in a state of homelessness. Schools will then work with those families to provide transportation, meals, clothing vouchers and other things. • komu.com/news/missouri

10. BIGGER PICTURE: Good Personal Hygiene or Other Necessities? • 58% of low-income individuals reported cutting back on food to afford personal care products. • 40% reported skipping or delaying rent payments to obtain products. • 3 in 10 people (2.1 billion worldwide) don’t have access to clean water at home, and six in 10 lack safely managed sanitation. Hopeandcomfort.org Time.com 2017 WHO, UNICEF

11. BIGGER PICTURE: Good Personal Hygiene or Other Necessities? • In 2016, 18% of children –13.3 million – were living in poverty, with children comprising 32.6% of all people in poverty.  • 31% of poor children are White, 24% are Black, 36% are Hispanic and 1% are indigenous.  Hopeandcomfort.org Time.com 2017 WHO, UNICEF

14. Barriers and Solutions

15. BARRIER : No washer and dryer at home to clean clothing “Without clean clothes, students become withdrawn and wary of participating in group activities. Often, they’ll skip school altogether.” Solutions that have worked • In 2015 Whirlpool started small with its Care Counts™ School Laundry Program, installed a washer and dryer in just 16 schools in St. Louis, Missouri, and Fairfield, California. • In the first year of the Care Counts program, attendance jumped an average of two days for students who were previously missing more than 10 days per year; teachers reported a 95% increase in classroom and extracurricular activities among the same students.  • The success of the program, which washes, on average, around 50 loads of laundry per participating student per year, led Whirlpool to expand to another 20 schools and four more cities. • September 2017, a partnership with Teach for America (TFA) increased the Care Counts program to 60 schools in 10 U.S. cities. Fastcompany.com

16. BARRIER : No washer and dryer at home to clean clothing Solutions that have worked Here in ST. Louis @ Gibson Elementary • Many families lacked access to detergent, washing machines and electricity. • Principal Gunn reached out to Whirlpool; they donated Washers and Dryers, provided all of its children with access to free or reduced price lunches and facilitated transportation. (2015-2016 school year) • Teachers reported 95% of participants showed more motivation during classroom time and were more likely to try extracurricular activities. Thebestschools.org

17. Barrier: Cannot afford more than one School Uniform, wearing the same one everyday. Solutions that have worked: • McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act provides uniforms (usually just to kids who can’t afford them).  • High Tech Elementary in Denver, Colorado has a uniform recycling program, which is meant to give students and families access to gently used uniforms and provide a way for HTES families to give back to the school community. • For every item you donate you receive a “credit” to purchase another donated item. “The cost of school uniforms can often be burdensome for low-income families already struggling to make ends meet” Hightechpta.com

18. Assistance League St. Louis

19. Barriers: No one at home teaching about personal hygiene Solutions that have worked • Schools providing students with hygiene kits could take some of the financial burden off the parents.  • These kits include soap, dental hygiene products, sanitizer, tissue and other items. Also providing students with clean underwear as needed throughout the day could be helpful. • Personal hygiene supply drive prior to the start of the school year to help families in need of personal hygiene items could also be beneficial. “These hygiene kits will allow my students to come to school and learn without worrying about being bullied or fearing that their classmates will smell their body odor.” Donorschoose.org

20. Barriers: No one at home teaching about personal hygiene • Many parents who are low income are focused on keeping food on the table and paying bills and rent. • 1 in 5children ages 6 to 12 are regularly left without adult supervision after school, according to a survey of working parents. • Federal assistance programs don’t cover personal care items,  A 2013 study by Feeding America found that of the people surveyed who were unable to afford basic household goods, 33% reported bathing without soap to save money. Abcnews.go.com Aacap.org Donorschoose.org

21. Suggestions for taking action • Start the discussion the first day of school • Distribute checklist for personal hygiene • Uniform exchange or recycle program (www.uniform-exchange.org/) • Encourage staff and students to celebrate cleanliness week at least twice a year by cleaning the classrooms and school premises

24. Personal Hygiene Scenario'sWhat would you do? • Case of Bad Breath • Case of Sneezing • Case of Dirty Clothes • Case of Body Odor

25. Ideas from educators around the world

26. Provide the necessary tools “I worked at a K-12 school in a remote village in Alaska, and this was a common issue. I always made sure to have extra hygiene products on hand for students that had issues with bathing at home. More than once, I would take the lost-and-found stuff home from my classroom (knowing full well which students the clothing belonged to), and I’d wash them. Students caught on quickly, and some would ‘accidentally’ leave their gear in my classroom several times a month.” —Chris G. “Have baby wipes, deodorant and mouthwash handy in class for all to use.” —Veronica S. Weareteachers.com

27. Make hygiene a class routine for everyone “I had several kids who didn’t brush their teeth regularly, so I contacted a local dentist and asked if he would sponsor my class. He gives me a toothbrush for every student and toothpaste. I buy extra tubes of toothpaste at the dollar store. Some kids bring their own. ” —Lyn H. “Have you considered making hygiene part of your day, so everyone brushes their teeth, washes their skin, and applies deodorant? If clean clothes are needed, I do the switch-out as needed.” —Elizabeth T. Weareteachers.com

28. Educate the whole class “You could find science video about microbes and bacteria that lives on your skin and in your hair and why it’s important to keep yourself clean.” —Rachael P. “I’m thinking if you do a general health unit, perhaps he’ll get the general idea. It’s another crossover in which we have to take on this role of parenting over teaching, and I understand the challenge of it.” —Mary H. “There’s a germ video our school nurse showed my class. Showing something like that might help.” —Elizabeth T. Weareteachers.com

29. Bring in other school resources “I had a third grader like that last year. First stop in the morning was to the school nurse to take a wash off. We kept clothes at school for him, took dirty ones, washed them, and rotated them out each day.” —Lisa W. You don’t have to deal with this issue alone! School nurses, psychologists, and physical education teachers may be able to help. “We have our male physical education teachers talk with the boys.” —Misti T. Weareteachers.com

30. Personal Hygiene Kit Ideas BJC SOYD Hygiene Kit $1.60 100 qty= $160.00 (plus 176 extra items!) Online Elite Hygiene Kit $1.66 each 100 qty =$166.00 • 1 oz. Conditioning Shampoo • 1 Everest Bar Soap • 1 ECO Bar Soap • 2 Antiperspirant Wipes • Toothpaste • Toothbrush • Nail file • hand sanitizer • Lip balm • 5" Comb • Zip Bag • 1 oz. Shampoo • .5 oz. Bar Soap • .5 oz. Stick Deodorant • .6 oz. Toothpaste • Toothbrush • 2 Shave Cream Packets • Single Blade Razor • 5" Comb • 6x8 Zip Bag

31. THE BIG WINNER!!!!