Tonight they’re going to try and get a bed at the emergency homeless shelter in the heart of the homeless neighbourhood of Los Angeles. This is where the people who have nowhere else to go end up. Sometimes, it's called "Skid Row".

5.30 am - Police alarm clock

At dawn, while Janine is still sleeping, the police drive around the neighbourhood and chase away the people who are sleeping outside. It’s illegal to live on the streets. Some protest but most of them just get up and pack their things.

6 am - Good morning

You have to get up early so you don’t miss breakfast. In the morning, all the temporary residents of the shelter have to leave the building. Janine and Khadijah are going to school while their mum looks for work and tries to find somewhere else to sleep tonight.

7.45 am - To school

Janine takes the bus to school. School on Wheels gave her bus tokens so that she’d be able to get to school every day.

10 am - Classes

Janine has had to change school several times during the time she’s been homeless. Sometimes she has had to miss lots of school days. “It’s hard to make friends and keep up in class when you’re new.”

3 pm - To School on Wheels

After school, Janine hurries back to the homeless neighbourhood and to School on Wheels’ learning room. All her friends who are also homeless meet here. “The people at School on Wheels are really nice and helpful.”

3.30 pm - Snack

Janine eats a honey bun with cinnamon and icing. It tastes delicious but it makes her fingers sticky.

4 pm - Homework

Janine gets help with her homework from her tutor, Steve. He’s good at explaining things in a way that’s easy to understand. He’s a bit of a joker too.

5.20 pm - Time to find a place to sleep

Janine and Khadijah go to meet their mum. Soon they’ll find out where they’re sleeping tonight. Agnes comes with them some of the way. She and the children have known each other for years. Agnes gives them a flyer with School on Wheels’ toll free phone number. “Call us if you need help. You know your tutors will come to you, wherever you go,” she reminds them.

5.27 pm - The balloon man

Halfway there, they meet the balloon man, Joe, who is an expert at making balloon figures. He makes balloon flowers and rabbits for some other children who are there with a staff member from School on Wheels. “Please, please, could you make me a heart?” asks Janine.

5.30 pm - The heart

Janine walks the last bit of the way with her friends from School on Wheels. She hangs on to her two hearts, one pink and one red. She’ll put them beside her pillow tonight when she goes to sleep. What a great end to the day!

5.30 pm - Lining up for a safe bed

Janine, her older sister and their mum will soon join the long queue for the Midnight Mission shelter. It’s in the heart of the homeless neighbourhood and hundreds of people are hoping to get some food and a bed here tonight. This is called "safe sleep" because it can be really dangerous on the streets in this part of town at night.

6 pm - Finally, dinnertime!

Janine gets a plate of meat and vegetable stew. “It tastes better than it looks,” she promises.

7 pm - Good night

The adults sleep in large dormitories. Families with children squeeze into a little room on the second floor. Tonight there is only one other family here. A mother and father with three young children. They’ve just lost their home, and it’s their first night at a shelter. Janine feels sorry for them. She has stayed here loads of times and she knows how things work. The worn grey blankets itch, but Janine still falls asleep straight away.