From Homeless to Hopeful: The Story of Shunda, Jeremiah and Kameron

by Stacy Emond

Not long ago, Shunda and her family lived in a local homeless shelter. It was during this time at the shelter that Shunda noticed that her son, Jeremiah, was not speaking even though he was almost two. Since Jeremiah was not her first child, she knew something was not right. She contacted the shelter’s clinic and they helped her get an appointment for a free screening with 348-TOTS, which is an interagency collaboration between Hennepin County, Minneapolis Public Schools, the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minneapolis Department of Health. On their staff are teachers, nurses, social workers and psychologists. 348-TOTS conducts free screenings for children from birth to age 3 to make sure kids are developing on track.

While TOTS was screening Jeremiah for speech delays, they also evaluated his younger brother, Kameron. TOTS staff determined that both boys needed further evaluation by a Minneapolis Public Schools Early Childhood Special Education teacher and Hennepin County Social Worker (who also served as the family’s Service Coordinator). This evaluation team decided that both boys needed Early Childhood Special Education services, including speech.

Besides getting her sons enrolled in educational services, Shunda also learned from team members about services to help her get out of the shelter and into a home. In addition, Shunda has enjoyed participating in an Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) support group that connects parents of children with special needs and gives them time to share the unique challenges of parenting their children.

Now, Jeremiah and Kameron receive home-based education services from Minneapolis Public Schools and both are doing well. Jeremiah is building a large vocabulary and his younger brother is following suit. Next year, Jeremiah will enter an ECSE classroom, while Kameron will continue to receive home-based services.