(StatePoint) When families have safe, stable housing, access to high-quality early development programs, and other supports that meet their needs, young children have a strong foundation to grow. However, too many families are struggling to meet children’s basic needs.
Nationwide, 450,000 infants and toddlers are experiencing homelessness. Among them, 70,000 were born to mothers who experienced homelessness within 12 months of giving birth. “Too often, homelessness for infants and toddlers is ‘invisible’ — a newborn sleeping in a different place every week, a toddler cycling between couches — while families still can’t easily access child care, early intervention, shelter, housing or other services that support healthy development,” said Barbara Duffield, executive director of SchoolHouse Connection. “These data show that homelessness among infants and toddlers is everywhere.”
Advocates say that building a coordinated, holistic support system for infants, toddlers, expectant parents, and their families that unites the early childhood, housing and homelessness sectors can ultimately prevent homelessness in the first place. This means:
• Acting now to meet the urgent needs of babies and their families.
• Championing policies that prioritize infants and toddlers.
• Collaborating across sectors to build lasting, coordinated solutions.
“Homelessness during pregnancy or within the first three years of a child’s life has lifelong consequences on physical health and mental well-being,” said Jamie Colvard, senior policy and systems director at Zero To Three. “We can’t overstate how important it is for partners to come together to address homelessness and housing instability among young children and their families.”
That’s where initiatives like Thrive From the Start are making a difference. Thrive From the Start is a cross-sector national network offering actionable, evidence-based recommendations for federal, state and local leaders. Among the organizations involved are Housing Is, the National Collaborative for Infants & Toddlers, Prevent Child Abuse America, SchoolHouse Connection and Zero To Three. The network recently announced that 10 state teams have each been awarded $100,000 to educate key constituencies in their state and localities about the impact of homelessness and housing instability on babies, infants and their families.
“Children are at greatest risk for experiencing homelessness during their first year of life and the number of families in homeless shelters is rising. There is a prevalence of housing instability and homelessness among pregnant people and families with young children, but it is often less visible and in people’s minds compared to other populations,” said Abra Lyons-Warren, director of Housing Is.
For more information about these efforts, and to learn how coordinated action can help solve the homelessness crisis, visit thrivefromthestart.org.
“We know that when we alleviate chronic stress—a contributor of child abuse and neglect — we can foster healthy and stable environments for families,” said Catherine Murphy, senior research manager, Prevent Child Abuse America. “By partnering across sectors at the local, state and national levels, we can build a more supportive system for families and prevent homelessness for our youngest children.”
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