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  2. Homelessness & Housing Instability
  3. Resources For Young Parents & Children Experiencing Homelessness

Resources for Young Parents & Children Experiencing Homelessness

Young parents and their children make up a significant portion of families experiencing homelessness. About 17 percent of youth served in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Runaway and Homeless Youth Transitional Living Programs are pregnant/parenting,1 and about 27 percent of the families in emergency shelters in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Family Options Study were headed by someone under age 25.2 Furthermore, approximately half of the children in shelters are under age six.3 Early experiences of homelessness can lead to developmental delays, poor educational outcomes, and social and emotional difficulties among young children. Parenting youth experiencing homelessness often need developmental supports for both themselves and their young children, as well as resources for economic self-sufficiency.

Given the importance, magnitude, and vulnerability of young parents and their children experiencing homelessness, the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) developed a searchable list of resources to provide service providers and policymakers with information about ways to promote healthy development and wellbeing for this population. The database below focuses on key federal or federally sponsored resources about relevant federal programs, federal guidance, evidence-based and promising practices, early childhood supports, parenting supports, behavioral health (mental health and substance abuse), housing, employment, and education.

Resource

Healthy Start
This webpage provides information about the Healthy Start program, which invests in communities to improve health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy. Local Healthy Start projects enroll women, their partners, infants, and children (up to 18 months) and tailor services to the needs of their communities to help reduce racial and ethnic differences in rates of infant death and adverse maternal health outcomes.

References

1 Mahathey, Brown, de Sousa, Loya, Thornton Walker, & Santucci, 2021
2 Gubits, Wood, McInnis, Brown, Spellman, & Bell, 2022
3 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development, 2016

Resource Database:

17 results matched your search criteria.

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By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

This webpage provides information about HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) Program, a competitive program that seeks to end homelessness by providing funding for nonprofit providers and state and local governments to provide shelter and quickly re-house homeless families and individuals.

URL: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/coc/
Topic(s): Federal programs, Homeless: families, Homeless: youth, Housing
Audience:
Type of Resource: Webpage

By: National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE)

This brief provides information about relevant federal programs for families and young children experiencing homelessness, and proposes best practices to facilitate collaboration among schools, early childhood programs, and service provider agencies to meet the needs of this vulnerable population.

URL: http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/early-childhood.pdf
Topic(s): Education, Federal programs, Homeless: families
Audience:
Type of Resource: Brief

By: US Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights

This Dear Colleague letter and accompanying pamphlet provide specific guidance for educational institutions receiving federal funding on meeting the needs and supporting the academic success of pregnant and parenting students as it pertains to Title IX.

URL: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201306-title-ix.pdf
Topic(s): Education, Federal programs
Audience:
Type of Resource: Federal guidance

By: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families

This fact sheet provides an overview of the services and assistance that FYSB provides around runaway and homeless youth (RHY) programs, Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program, and Family Violence Prevention and Services Program.

URL: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/fysb/fysb_services_20150406.pdf
Topic(s): Federal programs, Homeless: youth, Housing
Audience:
Type of Resource: Fact sheet

By: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

This information memorandum addresses whether federal Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) funds can be used to match the Homeless Assistance grants under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

URL: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ocs/im_135_csbg_federal_matching_req…
Topic(s): Federal programs, Homeless: families
Audience:
Type of Resource: Federal guidance

By: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families

This webpage provides information about the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program, which offers assistance to help current and former foster care youth achieve self-sufficiency. Activities and programs may include help with education, employment, housing, and connections to caring adults.

URL: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/resource/chafee-foster-care-program
Topic(s): Education, Federal programs, Housing
Audience:
Type of Resource: Webpage

By: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Service Administration

This webpage provides information about the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs that aim to improve maternal and child health, prevent child abuse and neglect, encourage positive parenting, and promote child development and school readiness. It includes links to information about grants and grantees, home visiting models, and technical assistance.

URL: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/programs/homevisiting/index.html
Topic(s): Behavioral health (mental health and substance abuse), Early childhood development, Federal programs, Health care, Homeless: families, Housing
Audience:
Type of Resource: Webpage

By: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families

This fact sheet provides an overview of the history and services of Maternity Group Homes. These homes support pregnant and/or parenting young people between the ages of 16 and 22 who are experiencing homelessness, along with their dependent children.

URL: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/fysb/mgh_20150824.pdf
Topic(s): Federal programs, Housing
Audience:
Type of Resource: Fact sheet

By: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

This Dear Colleague Letter provides guidance to State Directors of Special Education to help ensure highly mobile children with disabilities receive required special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in a timely manner.

URL: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/12-0392dclhighlymobile.p…
Topic(s): Education, Federal programs, Homeless: families, Homeless: youth
Audience:
Type of Resource: Federal guidance

By: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Adolescent Health

This webpage provides training and technical assistance resources for Pregnancy Assistance Fund (PAF) grantees and professionals working with pregnant and parenting teens. It includes information about PAF grants which help pregnant and parenting teens and their families gain access to health care, child care, housing, and other supports.

URL: http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/oah-initiatives/paf_program/about.html
Topic(s): Behavioral health (mental health and substance abuse), Federal programs, Health care
Audience:
Type of Resource: Webpage