Young parents and their children make up a significant portion of families experiencing homelessness. About 17 percent of youth served in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Runaway and Homeless Youth Transitional Living Programs are pregnant/parenting,1 and about 27 percent of the families in emergency shelters in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Family Options Study were headed by someone under age 25.2 Furthermore, approximately half of the children in shelters are under age six.3 Early experiences of homelessness can lead to developmental delays, poor educational outcomes, and social and emotional difficulties among young children. Parenting youth experiencing homelessness often need developmental supports for both themselves and their young children, as well as resources for economic self-sufficiency.
Given the importance, magnitude, and vulnerability of young parents and their children experiencing homelessness, the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) developed a searchable list of resources to provide service providers and policymakers with information about ways to promote healthy development and wellbeing for this population. The database below focuses on key federal or federally sponsored resources about relevant federal programs, federal guidance, evidence-based and promising practices, early childhood supports, parenting supports, behavioral health (mental health and substance abuse), housing, employment, and education.
Resource
Healthy Start
This webpage provides information about the Healthy Start program, which invests in communities to improve health outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy. Local Healthy Start projects enroll women, their partners, infants, and children (up to 18 months) and tailor services to the needs of their communities to help reduce racial and ethnic differences in rates of infant death and adverse maternal health outcomes.
References
1 Mahathey, Brown, de Sousa, Loya, Thornton Walker, & Santucci, 2021
2 Gubits, Wood, McInnis, Brown, Spellman, & Bell, 2022
3 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development, 2016
Resource Database:
