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:
A Spotlight on Fathers: Adding New Tools to Your Toolbox to Help Recruit, Retain, and Engage Young Fathers in Programs
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
Bricks, Mortar, and Community: The Core Components of Supportive Housing for Pregnant and Parenting Teens. The Core Components of Supportive Housing
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
Bricks, Mortar, and Community: The Foundations of Supportive Housing for Pregnant and Parenting Teens: Findings from the Field
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
Bright Idea: Everything You Need to Know About Helping Homeless Youth Apply for Medicaid
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
Continuum of Care (CoC) Program
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
Creating Lasting Family Connections Fatherhood Program: Family Reintegration (CLFCFP)
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
Dare to Be You (DTBY)
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
Early Care and Education of Young Children Experiencing Homelessness
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
Early Childhood Integration Series: Working Together to Provide Stability for Families: Home Visiting and Homeless Service Systems
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
Education Department Releases Guidance to Help Schools Better Support Pregnant and Parenting Students' Academic Success
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
