Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Early Childhood Homelessness?

The early years of life from birth to age six are among the most formative and developmentally critical – the brain is growing, motor skills are being developed, and social emotional skills are being learned. Homelessness is a traumatic experience that harms young children and has been found to be associated with delays in language, literacy, and social-emotional development, putting children at risk for later academic problems. The younger and longer a child experiences homelessness, the greater the cumulative toll of negative health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects on the child, the family, and the community.

Question #1:
How many young children in the United States were estimated to have experienced homelessness in the 2020-2021 academic year, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education?

A. Approximately 500,000 children
B. Approximately 1 million children
C. Approximately 1.3 million children
D. Approximately 2 million children

Early Childhood Resources

1. SchoolHouse Connection’s Early Childhood Page
2. Young Children Experiencing Homelessness: An Overview
3. Infants and Toddlers Experiencing Homelessness: Prevalence and Access to Early Learning in Twenty States. This report, developed in partnership with Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan, describes the prevalence of homelessness among infants and toddlers in twenty states; gaps in access to early learning programs; and recommendations for increasing enrollment and support.