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  2. Homelessness and 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

Resource Database:

45 results matched your search criteria.

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

This webinar describes how tools including a recruitment tip sheet, retention tip sheets, checklist, and toolkit can be integrated into programs and services for young fathers. The webinar audio (MP3 file) and transcript (PDF, 38 pages) are also provided.

URL: http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/oah-initiatives/paf/508-assets/fathertools-webinar-s…
Topic(s): Fatherhood, Pregnant and parenting youth
Audience: Service providers
Type of Resource: Webinar

By: Healthy Teen Network and Child Trends

This report describes a set of core components for supportive housing programs serving pregnant and parenting teens identified by a national advisory council. Core components include supports and resources to promote 1) self-sufficiency, 2) housing stability, 3) financial stability, 4) successful and engaged parenting and attachment, and 5) healthy relationships.

URL: http://www.healthyteennetwork.org/sites/default/files/Core%20Components%20of%20…
Topic(s): Housing, Pregnant and parenting youth
Audience: Policy makers, Service providers
Type of Resource: Report

By: Healthy Teen Network and Child Trends

This report presents survey results describing to what extent supportive housing programs are implementing the core components for supportive housing programs serving pregnant and parenting teens. It also includes case studies of supportive housing programs demonstrating strong implementation of the core components.

URL: http://www.healthyteennetwork.org/sites/default/files/Core%20Components%20of%20…
Topic(s): Housing, Pregnant and parenting youth
Audience: Policy makers, Service providers
Type of Resource: Report

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

This web article gives strategies to support service providers in enrolling youth experiencing homelessness in Medicaid.

URL: http://ncfy.acf.hhs.gov/news/2014/03/bright-idea-everything-you-need-know-about…
Topic(s): Behavioral health (mental health and substance abuse), Federal programs, Health care, Homeless: youth
Audience: Service providers
Type of Resource: Web article

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: Service providers
Type of Resource: Webpage

By: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP)

This evidence-based program is designed to help men who are experiencing or at-risk for separation from their families (due to incarceration, substance abuse, military service) strengthen family ties, increase their parenting skills, and reduce their probability of future personal problems like substance abuse.

URL: http://copes.org/overview-clfc-fatherhood-program-modules/
Topic(s): Behavioral health (mental health and substance abuse), Evidence-based programs or promising practices, Fatherhood, Parenting supports
Audience: Policy makers, Service providers
Type of Resource: Webpage

By: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP)

This intervention summary describes Dare to Be You (DTBY), a multilevel prevention program that serves high-risk families with children ages 2-5 by supporting parents to develop self-efficacy, effective child-rearing skills, social support, and problem-solving skills through parent-child workshops.

URL: http://legacy.nreppadmin.net/ViewIntervention.aspx?id=65
Topic(s): Behavioral health (mental health and substance abuse), Early childhood development, Evidence-based programs or promising practices, Parenting supports
Audience: Service providers
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: Service providers
Type of Resource: Brief

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

This webinar discusses housing instability amongst vulnerable families and partnerships that can prevent and reduce homelessness. The webinar includes a roundtable discussion with federal policy makers, advocates, and researchers; presentations from Tribal home visiting grantees; and a Q&A session. The webinar transcript (PDF, 60 pages) is also available.

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtYCsQUYZ78
Topic(s): Early childhood development, Federal programs, Homeless: families, Parenting supports
Audience: Policy makers, Service providers
Type of Resource: Webinar

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, Pregnant and parenting youth
Audience: Policy makers, Service providers, Youth
Type of Resource: Federal guidance