Invest Now or Pay Later: Consequences of Ignoring the Mental Health Needs of New Jersey Children in Shelter

Published September 2024

• Young children experiencing homelessness encounter barriers to accessing necessary mental health services that would support their development during periods of acute stress brought on by homelessness. 
• Authors recommend ensuring on-site in person mental health services for both young children and families staying in shelter.
• Overviews of promising mental health care programs across the country for young children staying in shelter are provided. 

Longitudinal relationships between early-life homelessness and school-aged asthma and wheezing

Published July 2024

• Authors found that, “Exposure to homelessness from prenatal to 5 years of age is associated with greater odds of both asthma and wheezing between ages 6.8 and 8.6 years. The magnitude of the association between early-life homelessness and asthma and wheezing is similar to that of low birth weight and approximately 50%–60% of that of maternal asthma, known risk factors for such conditions.”
• Children experiencing homelessness in the earliest years of life must be prioritized for interventions promoting healthy child development, especially when other risk factors to healthy development, like low birth weight and maternal asthma, are present. 

In parents’ words: Reflections on the social-emotional health system for young children experiencing homelessness

Published June 2024

• Parents expressed that “they were the most important people who promoted their child’s social-emotional development.” 
• They also discussed affordability of programs and access to transportation as two key areas of improvement that would increase participation in available social-emotional services.

The Americans Most Threatened by Eviction: Young Children

A new, groundbreaking study from Eviction Lab at Princeton University, Rutgers University, and the US Census Bureau links hundreds of thousands of eviction filings to the children who often remain invisible in the process.

Key takeaways:

• Children under age 5 represent the largest share of those affected by evictions each year;
• One quarter of Black children under 5 in rental homes live in a household facing an eviction filing;
• At every income level, households with children are more likely to receive an eviction filing than households with no children.

Building on Strengths: Reaching Unhoused Families with Home Visiting Parent Support Programs

Home Visiting programs are uniquely positioned to meet the needs of families experiencing homelessness. Lydia Place in Washington state accomplishes this through a multi-pronged approach.

Key takeaways:

• Lydia Place utilizes the Parents as Teachers model and the goal of preventing the cycle of homelessness;
• To address the needs of families experiencing homelessness, staff added parent support and mental health programs;
• In addition to parenting support, families are also able to access housing support through a dedicated housing manager.

Short Interpregnancy Intervals Among Women Experiencing Homelessness in Colorado

Analysis of birth records of 636 women experiencing homelessness revealed short interpregnancy intervals (SIPIs). 

Key takeaways:

• SIPIs are associated with increased risk of adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes. 
• The association between homelessness and SIPIs indicates a need for improved conception management among women experiencing homelessness who have given birth. 
• Clinical implications and recommendations include utilizing hospital births as an opportunity for identifying homelessness, and providing counseling around 6-7 months after a previous pregnancy, as this is when women experiencing homelessness are more likely to conceive again.

More Than 130,000 Households With Housing Vouchers Have Been Burdened by Child Care Costs Since 2017

Housing and child care are among the biggest household expenses for many families. While cost is only one facet of child care access, this brief provides one of the first explorations of the out-of-pocket costs spent on child care by families who receive housing vouchers, and includes policy and practice recommendations for state and local child care leaders, policymakers, public housing authorities, and child care professionals for enhancing families’ access to subsidized care.

Innovation in Philadelphia: A Report on Supporting Infants-Toddlers Experiencing Homelessness.

This report is designed to inform anyone serving families experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia about what programs exist now to bolster resilience for infants and toddlers, examine the growing prevalence of home visiting programs in the area, and make recommendations for supporting and replicating effective programs.

Promising Practices for Serving Young Children Experiencing Homelessness.

This report is specifically for staff who support young children residing in emergency, transitional, and supportive housing.

Early Childhood Homelessness State Profiles 2020 

This report compiles data from multiple sources from the 2017-18 school year to provide information on the extent of early childhood homelessness and the availability of federally-funded early childhood education for young children experiencing homelessness across the United States.

Mapping the Link between Life Expectancy and Educational Opportunity. 

This research by Child Trends examines the relationship between educational opportunity and life expectancy to provide information that education and health policymakers need to communicate how investments in education may promote teen health.

ZERO TO THREE Journal—March 2019: Young Children And Families Experiencing Homelessness.

This journal includes a sampling of policies, practices, challenges, and opportunities on homelessness facing the infant–toddler field today. The authors cover topics ranging from early care and early childhood programs to parenting supports, housing, pediatrics, and young families.