Reaching Families Experiencing Homelessness

Summary

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Act defines homelessness as a state in which individuals lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including children who are sharing housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason (living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations; living in emergency or transitional shelters or abandoned in hospitals, cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations). Homelessness includes unaccompanied youth and may apply to migrant children under certain circumstances. Ensuring Meaningful Family Engagement and providing Support for our families experiencing homelessness helps to provide educational stability for students and empowers our families experiencing homelessness.

Considerations

• Effectively identifying families who may be experiencing homelessness.
• Providing support, transportation, and childcare for families.
• Families experience barriers to having access to the internet.
• Families encounter barriers to accessing adequate permanent, emergency, or transitional housing.
• Families are hesitant to report experiencing homelessness.

 Suggestions

• Work with families to identify possible barriers and create solutions.
• Provide resources that offer free and/or low-cost Wi-Fi Hotspots and internet.
• Ensure that displaced families are aware of housing resources that are available.
• Acknowledge the strengths of families.
• Work with parenting supports or home visiting programs to help identify strategies to create healthy activities.
• Develop strong relationships with families experiencing homelessness to help build resilience and trust.

Resources

Supporting Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

The National Center for Homeless Education

Housing Resources (MSHDA)

United Way

U.S. Dept of Housing and Urban Development