More than 1 million children under 6 years old in the U.S. experience homelessness every year. The top causes of homelessness among families are a lack of affordable housing, unemployment, poverty, and low wages, according to recent data from the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Check out two new resources to help Head Start staff and other early care and education (ECE) providers support these vulnerable children and families. Use them to enhance your knowledge around family homelessness and review relevant federal regulations for Head Start, Early Head Start, and Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)-subsidized programs.
- Caring for the Health and Wellness of Children Experiencing Homelessness:
Discover common health and wellness issues among children experiencing homelessness. Find tips for working with families to make sure health and wellness remains a priority. This tip sheet can also help Head Start health managers, Head Start Advisory Committees, ECE providers, and child care health consultants. - Supporting Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness:
These interactive learning modules offer knowledge and skill-building opportunities about child and family homelessness. Review the McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Act’s definition of “homeless” as it refers to children and youth. Find out how to apply it in the context of different federally-funded early childhood programs at the state and local levels. Learn how to conduct community outreach and identify, prioritize, and enroll families experiencing homelessness. These modules are intended for professionals in Head Start, Early Head Start, and child care. This includes early childhood and school-age child care providers, CCDF Lead Agency or designated entity staff, and other key stakeholders.