I try not to take much for granted in my life. I am a lucky guy who is happy to be employed, both through the Kennebunk school district and as a legislator. I enjoy where I live and I appreciate my neighbors, and I love being able to come home after a difficult day to my beautiful wife, Norma. I try not to take any of these things for granted, because many people don’t have the same luxuries that I do in my life. But what makes me upset is that there are students throughout Maine who are struggling with housing insecurity, and don’t know where they are going to sleep each night.

Our students should be worrying about homework, or which club to join, or maybe even about who they may want to take to prom. Instead of these typical kid priorities, they are forced to confront a scary situation in an adult world. I know that these students need support, and they need someone to take action. I submitted a bill this year that I hope will do just that.

This session, I was proud to introduce LD 384, “An Act to Prevent Student Homelessness,” to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. The bill establishes the Student Homelessness Prevention Program within the Department of Education, continuing our successful efforts from 2023 to provide one-time funding.

The purpose of the program is to provide direct financial assistance to prevent student homelessness and support students and their families in maintaining stable permanent housing. This is done by allowing McKinney-Vento liaisons — which each school in Maine has — access to emergency financial assistance for the family of a student in an amount of up to $750 per student. By getting our students in touch with these liaisons, and giving them the resources to help, we can take an important step toward housing security for these students.

I am grateful for my colleagues helping me get this important bill out of the Education Committee, but the work is not done yet. The bill now faces votes in both the Senate and the House, and am hopeful that my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, will agree that ensuring our kids have a roof over their heads is not a partisan issue.

These are students, these are our children. They deserve to grow up without worrying about where they are going to sleep. They deserve to learn in their classrooms without looking out the window during a cold day and wondering if their mom’s car will be able to stay warm throughout the night. These are not concerns that our children should have, and it breaks my heart that this is where too many families are.

If this bill plays even a small part in helping someone have housing stability, then it is an idea worth presenting and pursuing, for the sake of our kids.

If you or someone you know has any questions or needs assistance getting in touch with a government agency, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Joseph Rafferty is a member of the Maine State Senate representing District 34, Berwick, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, North Berwick and Wells. He can be reached at Joe.Rafferty@legislature.maine.gov or 207-287-1515. Sign up an email newsletter at mainesenate.org.