Demographic Data

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Conclusion

In summary, the literature on homeless children conducted over the past 18 years has focused on trying to understand if, how, and to what extent homelessness has an impact on children. Studies involving both homeless and low-income housed children have consistently found evidence for a poverty-related impact on children; that is finding that both

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Typology Efforts

As previously characterized, the emphasis on research to date involving homeless children has been to discern the nature and extent of impact that homelessness can have on children. Referring back to Figure 1-1, studies have tried to identify and quantify, to some extent, a homelessness-specific effect on children above and beyond a poverty-relate

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Overlapping Issues of At-risk Groups

Homeless children, because of their impoverished circumstances and residential instability share commonalities with another at-risk group of children, namely dependents of migrant farm workers. Mostly Latino of Mexican and Central American heritage, migrant farm workers provide a low-cost source of labor for American farmers who seasonally require

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Topics for Further Inquiry

There is sparse data concerning some issues on homeless and low-income children. One issue is to better understand homelessness in the context of other adversities that children living in poverty frequently encounter. As mentioned previously, in comparing homelessness to other stressors that children living in poverty may encounter, homelessness i

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Part III: Future Directions for Research

Research conducted to date on homeless children has illuminated the knowledge on current needs and the impact of homelessness. Additional studies of homeless and housed children along the lines of previous investigations may do little to clarify the inconsistencies in findings. If future research is conducted that specifically addresses the questi

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Similarities Between Homeless and Low-income Housed Children

As stated at the beginning of this section, it seems easier to discern a poverty-related effect in studies of homeless and low-income children than a homelessness-specific effect. A simple explanation is that both groups tend to differ far more from children in the general population, in terms of exposure to risk factors detrimental to various mea

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Shelter as an Intervention

On the surface, a shelter stay may seem like a negative experience for a child in a low-income, but as Bassuk and Rosenberg (1990) remarked, “for some children, their stays in a neighborhood-based family shelter have been the most stable and predictable experiences of their young lives (p.261).” In fact, a stay in a family shelter (especiall

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Homelessness is Not a Homogenous Experience

It is important to recognize that people experience homelessness in many different ways. For example, if one were to examine the residential histories of those children (or adults) who are homeless across the United States on any given night, one would find that a number of different circumstances have led to their present situation. Likewise, the

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Contextual and Policy-related Factors

Across communities at any given moment, the extent of structural imbalance between the supply of affordable housing and its demand will vary with some areas having greater disequilibrium between the supply of housing and demand than others. Likewise, within any given community over time, the degree of structural imbalance is not static but in a st

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Historical Factors

The early studies of homeless children took place in contexts in which the problem of family homelessness had recently emerged and where communities had not had sufficient time nor had marshaled adequate resources to address the needs of this new homeless subgroup. While difficult to document, it is likely that shelter conditions for families have

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Methodological Differences

Studies of homeless children have differed in terms of the assessment instruments employed, the degree of statistical power afforded by sample size, selection of comparison groups, enrollment procedures, and other factors. While there are methodological shortcomings in some studies, this probably is not a major reason for the inconsistencies in st

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Part II: Why Studies of Homeless Children Have Produced Inconsistent Findings

The previous section reviewed many of the published empirical articles that address the potential impact of homelessness on children. The continuum-of-risk figure ( Figure 1-1 ) is helpful in summarizing various study findings. A rather consistent result across studies is noting elevated problems among homeless and low-income housed children compa

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Education-related Outcomes

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Health Outcomes

The early studies of homeless children that assessed health outcomes found a higher prevalence of health-related problems compared to low-income housed children or children in the general population. For instance, Alperstein et al. (1987) in a study of outpatient medical records in a New York City pediatric clinic, compared 265 homeless children u

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Developmental Status

Among infants and preschool age children, assessing cognitive and motor development in relation to specific developmental milestones is useful in understanding a child’s “developmental status” and whether the child appears to have developmental delay(s) in one or more realms. For instance, a child who is not walking by the age of 2 or not sp

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Mental Health and Problem Behaviors

The mental health of homeless children has been a central concern for service providers as well as researchers. The most widely used instrument in homelessness research with children has been the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) (Achenbach, 1991; Achenbach and Rescorla, 2001). The CBCL is an instrument that is administered to the parent of a child

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Part I: Literature Review

Using data from the National Survey of Homelessness Assistance Providers conducted in 1996, The Urban Institute (2000) estimated that families with children account for about 39 percent of the homeless population in this country on any given night. 1 Based on this survey, researchers at The Urban Institute estimated that somewhere between 874,00

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Appendix A: Impact of Homelessness on Children: An Analytic Review of the Literature

This paper reviews published research conducted in the United States pertaining to the effects of homelessness on the mental health, behavior, health, and academic performance of children who are homeless with their families. This has been the central aim of most of the studies involving homeless children that have been conducted to date. A primar

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Summary

In summary, this project has identified a staged approach to developing typologies of homeless families and families who are at risk of homelessness. Data from existing sources provide some indication of the types of variables to be examined in order to develop classifications, but the variability among the studies in sample selection, measurement

Characteristics and Dynamics of Homeless Families with Children. Resource Allocation Typology

Definition and Guidance from Past Research. A second typology, focused on families who have already become homeless, would classify families by the factors that block their ability to exit homelessness (e.g., poor credit; past justice involvement), as well as challenges they may have to maintain stability and self-sufficiency. Some families exit

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