Children and Homelessness: 2014 Report

By: Sharon E. Chin

Homelessness has been an experience an estimated one in thirty children currently face in the United States. The National Center on Family Homelessness released a national report card, estimating that 2.cancer5 million children were homeless at some time in 2013. Compared to previous years, this is the largest number of homeless children in the U.S. Ever.

The Report Card lists common causes for homelessness like poverty, the impacts of the recession, lack of affordable housing, racial disparities, single parenting and domestic traumatic experiences, all of which negatively impact homelessness in children. Since 45 million Americans live at or below the 2013 federal poverty line, the risk of homelessness is high for children living in these families.From poverty stems the ability for families to meet basic needs – shelter, food, healthcare, education – which in turn influences the physical, mental and emotional health of homeless children. More subtle difficulties, such as racial inequalities, single parent challenges, and domestic violence, are often deeply impressed from childhood into adulthood; the trauma from feeling unsafe, unable to control the environment and feeling powerless is not easily overcome. Children who are experiencing homelessness must not only face these causes for, but also additional causes of unease without the support and comfort of their caregivers.

The National Center on Family Homelessness and U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) proposed a federal response to decrease national homelessness. Beginning with addressing safe and affordable housing, educational and employment supports, physical stability should allow for space to respond to the high rates of the trauma encountered during the periods of homelessness. More specifically, female caregivers/mothers will require mental health services for the trauma and depression that often time comes in times of homelessness, as well as parenting services to empower caregivers and strengthen parent-child relationships.
The extent to which child homelessness in the U.S. has reached is baffling, especially when taking into consideration everything that homeless children must face out of home. As further research is conducted, housing and mental services remain the priority to bring kids living outside, in.
Read the report HERE:
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Cancer InCytes magazine has published articles about the link between childhood physical and mental trauma and disease.
Trauma & Chronic Disease:
CHILDHOOD TRAUMA LINKED TO CHRONIC DISEASES IN ADULTHOOD
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Sharon E. Chin is an MPH candidate at Rutgers University and is Social Media Editor for Cancer InCytes magazine. Her interests are exploring social justice issues through public health lenses.
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References:
Bassuk, E.; DeCandia, C.; Beach, C.; Berman, F. 2014Nov. “America’s Youngest Outcasts: A Report Card on Child Homelessness”. American Institute for Research. http://homeless.samhsa.gov/ResourceFiles/1-Full%20Report.pdf.
Crary, D.; Leff, L. 2014Nov11. “Number of Homeless Children in America Surges to an All-Time High: Report” Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/17/child-homelessless-us_n_6169994.html
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Image “Children Sleeping on Mulberry Street” by Kelly Short can be found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/84269586@N07/7717241528.

Children and Homelessness: 2014 Report was originally published @ Cancer inCYTES Blog and has been syndicated with permission.

Photo by Kelly Short6

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One Response

  1. James Wogan April 4, 2015

    The impact of homelessness on education is tremendous. As the McKinney Vento Homeless Liaison for Mt. Diablo Unified (Northern California, East Bay), I see first hand how important support services are. School social workers, teachers, and dedicated administrators help to reduce stressors, and make life once again predictable for homeless children. We support the child’s education by supporting his/her family – often to acces health care, mental health & addictions treatment, and stable housing.

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