Serving Young Children Experiencing Homelessness

Preconference Institute National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth

25th Annual Conference | Atlanta, GeorgiaNovember 2, 2013

Young Homeless Children:National Numbers and Trends

• In 2008-2009, 52% of all children in HUD homeless shelters were under the age of 6

• Nearly 30,000 homeless children ages 3-5 (not kindergarten) were enrolled in public preschool programs in 2008-2009; this is only 4% of all students identified as homeless by public schools

• The number of homeless children served by Head Start nationally increased by 44% between 2007 and 2009

Homeless Children as Percent of Cumulative Enrollment in Head Start and Early Head Start Programs

Source: Head Start Program Information Reports 2008-2012

The Reality of Family Homelessness

• Lack of structure, routine, stability • Trauma • Loss• Lack of access to food• Lack of health care• Inappropriate living conditions (no play space,

overcrowded, unhealthy, over-stimulation or under-stimulation)

• Stressed attachments to caregivers• Invisibility

Impacts on Young Children

• Higher rates of developmental delays:– Infants who are homeless start life needing special

care four times more often than other babies– Homeless toddlers show significantly slower

development than other children

• Higher rates of chronic and acute health problems

• Higher exposure to domestic and other types of violence

Reflection 1

Take a moment to reflect on the impact of homelessness on young children and their families and the relevance of this information to your work. Jot down a phrase or two to record your thoughts.

• Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH)

• Authorizes and amends the McKinney-Vento homeless assistance programs administered by HUD

• Signed into law May 2009• Regulations not yet issued• However, new assurances related to children

went into effect with the most recent NOFA

HEARTH ACT: NEW HUD ASSURANCES RELATED TO CHILDREN

“Project applicants must demonstrate that programs that provide housing or services to families are designating a staff person to ensure that children are enrolled in school and connected to the appropriate services within the community, including early childhood programs such as Head Start, Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, and McKinney-Vento education services”

HEARTH ACT: NEW HUD ASSURANCES RELATED TO YOUNG CHILDREN

Getting started……• Finding out about what’s out there for

young children to support their learning• Connecting with colleagues to better

address the needs of young homeless children

• Work to enroll them in the most high quality early childhood programs you can find!

Early Childhood Landscape:Early Development, Care and Education

• Child Care• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act• State Pre-Kindergarten Programs • McKinney-Vento and Preschool• Head Start & Early Head Start• MIECHV Home Visiting

Early Childhood Landscape: Child Care

• Federal CCDF block grant that states can supplement – State and local child care funding supplements– States can use federal TANF block grant funds

• Designated “state child care administrator”• State administrative rules, e.g., eligibility, priorities• State and some local regulations • CCDF requires coordination of ALL child care through

Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (CCR&R)• CCDF designates set asides for quality initiatives

and services for infants and toddlers

Early Childhood Landscape: Child Care

• Subsidized Child Care – Publically funded child care centers, networks of

family child care homes through contracts and grants to local agencies

• Child Care Subsidies, or Vouchers– Used by families to purchase care from licensed

and unregulated care providers, including relatives and friends, for the care that best meets their needs

• Serve children from infants through school-age• Quality Rating & Improvement Systems (QRIS)

Early Childhood Landscape: IDEA Parts B & C

• Federal funds to states under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)– Part B/619 – Preschool Special Education ages 3-5– Part C – Infants and Toddlers

• Uses McKinney-Vento definition of homeless • Provides for identification, location, evaluation and

education of children with disabilities who are experiencing homelessness– Individualized Plan (ISP, IFSP)– Home-based, classroom & consultation models– Goal of mainstreaming

Early Childhood Landscape: State Pre-K Programs

• State funding of preschool services for 4-year-olds or for 3- and 4-year-olds– Most states now have some type of state pre-k system

• State agencies provide leadership and funding to local school districts– Both school based and community providers– Both targeted and universal designs– State Advisory Councils (under the Head Start Act),

Early Childhood Cabinets and integrated state agencies and departments

– Local councils and community partnerships

Early Childhood Landscape: McKinney-Vento and Preschool

• School district McKinney-Vento liaisons must ensure that families and children have access to Head Start, any public preschool programs administered by the LEA and Even Start if still available

• State McKinney-Vento plans must describe procedures that ensure that homeless children have access to public preschool programs

• School districts are required to remove barriers to the enrollment of homeless children, including preschool children

Created under LBJ’s “War on Poverty” ~ 1965 included other programs & initiatives like Job Corps and Community Action Agencies

Intended to achieve 2 primary goals~ break the cycle of poverty~ empower low-income families

Specific child goals:~ social competence~ school readiness

Early Childhood Landscape: Head Start

Early Childhood Landscape: Head Start

• 1,600 grantees in the U.S (and U.S. territories) that serve over 900,000 children (age 0 to 5) annually

• Direct federal to local funding – does not pass through any state agency– Head Start – preschool aged children ages 3-5

• Vary as to number of three’s and four’s – Early Head Start – pregnant women and children

ages birth to 3 years• Reaches about 5% of those eligible

Early Childhood Landscape: Head Start

Head Start mandates COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES to children and families - a unique feature of the program– Health Services = health, mental health, dental,

nutrition and physical activity; prenatal care– Education and special education/disabilities services

• Approximately 20% of children with IEPs served by Head Start

– Family services thru Family Partnership Agreement, parent involvement and governance, fatherhood initiatives, etc.• 20-25% of Head Start staff are current or former

Head Start parents– Community partnerships

Early Childhood Landscape: Head Start

Head Start Program Services:– Full-day/full-year; part day/part year; school day/

school year– Program designs include Center-based, Home-

based, and Family Child Care (Home Start)– Combination and Locally Designed Options

Head Start Act of 2007 allows programs to explore changing program designs to meet changing needs based on their local community assessment

Early Childhood Landscape: Head Start

Enrollment primarily based on federal poverty

At least 10% of children must have active IEP/IFSP

Additional categorical eligibility:– Families on public assistance (TANF)– Children in foster care– Children who are homeless according to the

McKinney-Vento education definition

Head Start: A Perfect Match for Homeless Families

• Head Start provides comprehensive services that homeless children may not otherwise receive

• The Head Start focus on entire family means parents receive assistance in reaching their goals

• Philosophy of community partnerships put Head Start in an excellent position to work with all agencies serving homeless families

• Head Start programs are required to identify and prioritize homeless children for enrollment; allow homeless children to enroll while required paperwork is obtained; and coordinate with LEA liaisons and other community agencies

Early Childhood Landscape: MIECHV Home Visiting

• New national resource through the federal Affordable Care Act

• States must select and implement from among a list of designated evidence-based models

• Focused on high risk populations• State advisory bodies and coordinated professional

development

Early Care and Education Landscape

• Head Start & Early Head Start

• Child Care

• IDEA

• State Pre-Kindergarten Programs

• Other Early Care and Education Partners

ACTIVITY: Early Childhood Development, Care and Education Landscape in Your World

Work with someone sitting near you to complete the Early Childhood Development, Care and Education Infrastructure in My State/ Community for either the state or local level

If you cannot complete a cell, use the Early Childhood Development, Care and Education Resource List to find a resource for obtaining the name, contact information you need to complete our grid.

You will have 5 minutes for this activity.

HEARTH Act: Who is Covered?

• The Continuum of Care agencies

• Shelter + Care providers

• Emergency Solutions Grants

• Supportive Housing Project

• To find your Continuum of Care, go to www.hudhre.gov

HEARTH: Definition of Homelessness

• Families must meet criteria before M-V definition applies:– Do not otherwise qualify– Homeless for 60 days or more– Moved at least 2 Xs in 60 days– Expected to remain homeless

• Definition of chronic homelessness includes families where a head of household has a disability.

HEARTH Act: Education 42 U.S.C. 11386 et seq.

• Providers must– Demonstrate that their policies are consistent with McKinney-

Vento and do not restrict the exercise of McKinney-Vento rights.– Designate a staff person to assist homeless children and youth

connect with school, early education, special education, etc.• Gov’t agencies which oversee/place families in shelters must

– Demonstrate that they are coordinating with local school systems to identify homeless children/youth and inform them about McKinney-Vento.

– Consider the educational needs of homeless children, including placing them in shelters close to school of origin to reduce travel.

How can providers meet the HEARTH education

requirements?• Assess education needs at intake• Inform families of education rights and options• Assist discussion regarding school selection• Connect families with schools/education programs• Advocate for enrollment and access to services• Collaborate with school districts around provision of supportive

services• Monitor attendance and achievement• Ensure shelter policies do not create barriers to education• Discuss education as part of exit planning

Head Start, Cont.• No new policy updates• Coordinate with Head Start programs to

better identify homeless families and provide services

IDEA- Part B- Child Find • Evaluations must be completed within 60 days from

parent’s request• If family changes LEAs during evaluation period the

same 60 day time frame applies to new LEA• Assessments must be coordinated between former

LEA and receiving LEA• When homeless child has IEP and enters new LEA,

the IEP must be implemented• If it is a new state, the IEP must be implemented

while the school conducts its evaluation.

IDEA Part C: Final Regulations

• New federal regulations published, in September 2011• Homeless children are explicitly included throughout

the regulations• Homeless family shelters added as a primary referral

source• 2 day referral time frame extended to 7 days• States can opt for screening process to determine if

there is suspected disability• At screening level must give parents notice that

they have right to request an evaluation

IDEA Part C: Final Regulations

• Evaluation determines a child’s initial and continuing eligibility

• Assessment determines the child’s unique strengths and needs and the intervention services appropriate

• Enhanced due process option: lead agency may establish procedure allowing aggrieved party at due process hearing to request reconsideration

• Copies of evaluations, assessments and IFSPs must be provided to parents at no cost

Child Care Subsidy• New federal legislation introduced on Aug. 1!

“Improving Access to Child Care for Homeless Families Act of 2012”

• Prioritize homeless children for access to care• Immediate enrollment w/o all documents• Ensures co-payments are not barrier• Lead agency must coordinate w/ M-V school liaison

and other community providers• Go to www.naehcy.org to the legislative update

section for sample letter to U.S. Senator

Reflection 2

Take a moment to reflect on existing and potential resources in your community. What do you need to learn about them so that you can work together to support young children and families? Jot down a phrase or two to record your thoughts.

Barriers to Early Childhood Programsfor Families Experiencing Homelessness

• Lack of awareness: Families and agency staff may not know that there is prioritized for EC programs, Head Start programs may not know the definition of homelessness, MV liaisons may not be “fluent” in early childhood systems, HUD providers may not know “lay of the land” of ECE• Lack available slots for all eligible children, especially infants and toddlers, including those who are homeless• Lack of capacity for McKinney-Vento liaisons and Head Start programs to do outreach and targeted assistance• High mobility• Lack of transportation• Lack of documentation for enrollment

Removing Barriers:Strategies for Awareness and Identification

•Head Start programs/school districts can incorporate questions on housing status on applicationsMcKinney-Vento liaisons can participate in community based and cross-agency events•McKinney-Vento liaisons can inquire about young siblings of school-age children•Homeless service providers can document ages of all children at intake, and make referrals to Head Start, ECEAP, and other ECE

programs

Removing Barriers:Strategies for Awareness and Identification• Early childhood programs can include

information on how to recognize homelessness in staff development/trainings/in-services

• Shelters can make sure that young children are assessed for developmental delays

• New HUD contacts can be trained in assessment programs (Ages and Stages, Early Intervention programs, and Special Education Child Find) that provide indicators of potential developmental delays

Removing Barriers:Strategies for Identification and Responding to Mobility • Obtain parental consent for release of

information from providers or liaison in order to share information between agencies, and obtain new addresses and continue to provide services when families move

• In anticipation of mobility, develop joint procedures to expedite services and provide continuous services for highly mobile children.

Removing Barriers:Strategies to Expedite Access• Liaisons and homeless service staff can

provide Head Start applications to identified families and help them fill them out

• Expedite records by working together; e.g. liaisons can get immunization records, etc. for young siblings of school-age children

• Develop joint or streamlined procedures and forms (e.g. housing intake forms)

Putting it All Together:Strategies for Collaboration

Head Start & ECEAP Programs could adopt a number of strategies to reach homeless families:

• Develop relationship with K-12 Homeless Liaison for referrals• Assign staff member to be the liaison with local homeless

shelters/service providers• Training for family advocates to continue identifying homeless

families throughout the year as circumstances change• Presentations and visits to (and from) homeless shelters and

advocacy groups about services available• Create connections with food banks, churches, health department,

and housing groups in the community

Putting it All Together:Strategies for Funding Comprehensive Services

www.clasp.orgwww.clasp.org

Reaching Children Where They Are: Using Federal Funding to Support Comprehensive Services in Child Care

May 1, 2012

Christine Johnson-StaubSenior Policy AnalystHannah MatthewsDirectorChild Care and Early Education

www.clasp.orgwww.clasp.org

Why Comprehensive Services?

• Programs showing lasting benefits of high quality early education focused on whole child and included comprehensive services.

• Increased attention to school readiness, child outcomes, return on investment.

• Increased poverty has increased need for comprehensive services.

43

www.clasp.org

What Do We Mean By Comprehensive Services?

• Connection and access to preventive health care services, such as assistance in connecting to medical homes, preventive dental screenings, and tracking of vaccination and medical screening records;

• Support for emotional, social and cognitive development, including screening to identify developmental delays, mental health concerns, and other conditions that may warrant early intervention, mental health services, or educational interventions;

• Family leadership and support, including parent leadership development, parenting support, abuse prevention strategies, and connecting families to needed social services.

44

www.clasp.orgwww.clasp.org

Why Financing and Funding Partnerships?

• Child Care and Early Education Funding is Insufficient Head Start serves 40% of eligible preschoolers and fewer

than 3% of eligible infants and toddlers. CCDBG serves 17% of eligible children and states do not

pay rates higher enough to support comprehensive services.

• Emphasis on effective and efficient use of funds. States, localities exploring ways to coordinate service

delivery sectors and funding streams

45

www.clasp.org

Early Childhood System Components

Thriving

Children

and Famili

es

Child SafeEnvironments

www.clasp.org

CLASP’s Financing Work

• CLASP studies federal funding streams and how they can best support quality early childhood programs and services.

• Forthcoming guide to using federal funding streams to finance comprehensive services in child care and early education settings. Guide to funding streams, related policies, allowable

uses. State and local examples. Step by step advice for exploring financing strategies.

47

www.clasp.org

Financing Guide Focuses on the Following Funding Streams

• Maternal and Child Health – Title V• Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems• Home Visiting – Evidence Based and MIECHV• Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act• Medicaid• Elementary and Secondary Education -Title I• SAMHSA (Project LAUNCH)• CDBG

48

www.clasp.org

What Can A Partnership With Child Care Look Like?

• Funding direct services in a child care setting

• Funding coordination of services that take place either inside or outside of the setting

• Training child care staff to provide services• Funding materials and supplies to provide

services

49

www.clasp.orgwww.clasp.org

Contact Information

Christine Johnson-Staubcjohnsonstaub@clasp.org

202-906-8005

Hannah Matthewshmatthews@clasp.org

202-906-8006

www.clasp.org/childcare

50

Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care

Services Programs Provide:• Many programs have changed their enrollment criteria

to put homeless families at the top of the list

• Family advocates are trained to provide information on housing resources, emergency shelters, DSHS services, domestic violence and substance abuse support, counseling, & medical.

• Transportation – some programs don’t have program-wide transportation, but do provide it for homeless families

Services Programs Provide• Programs provide donations of food, clothing, baby

items, and other necessary items to families on a weekly basis and have started new partnerships with grocery stores who host food drives and schools hosting coat drives

• One program has set up a gated “safe park” area with shower facilities for families living in cars, along with an indoor “camp” where families can set up tents out of the weather

Early Learning Coalitions

• Early Learning Coalitions in every county/community

• Wide variety of participation and funding

• Homeless/housing service providers and liaisons should consider attending to create connections and learn local resources

• Sources of support, e.g., in Washington State the Foundation for Early Learning guides the coalition-building process, provides funding

www.earlylearning.org/grantmaking/coalitions

Reflection 3

Take a moment to reflect on the various strategies that can be used to overcome barriers and new approaches you might try in your program and community. Jot down a phrase or two to record your thoughts.

Scenarios and Discussion

In your small group, read through the scenarios on your table and answer the question: What would you do?

Reflections to Actions

1. Using your three reflections on the work we’ve done today, take a moment to record an action or two that you will take when you return to your program

2. Share your Action Plan with another person, or two, or three.....

Resources - ECLKCOffice of Head Start – Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center – Search ECLKC - enter “homelessness”

Go to: Training and Technical Assistance System: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system

From there, go to Parent, Family, and Community Engagement

From there, go to Crisis Support

From there, go to Homelessness Online Lessons

Resources• National Association for the Education of Homeless Children

and Youth– http://www.naehcy.org

• National Center on Homeless Education– http://www.serve.org/nche

• National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center– http://www.nectac.org

• Horizons for Homeless Children– http://www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org

• Washington State Association of Head Start & ECEAP-- http://wsaheadstarteceap.com

• Parent Training and Information Centers– http://www.taalliance.org/centers/index.htm– (888) 248-0822

Policy Resources• NAEHCY: www.naehcy.org, Barbara Duffield, bduffield@naehcy.org,

202.364.7392• National Center on Homeless Education: www.serve.org/nche• National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty: www.nlchp.org• Zero to Three, http://www.zerotothree.org• National Head Start Assoc., http://www.nhsa.org/• National Center for Children in Poverty, http://nccp.org/• Institute for Children, Poverty & Homelessness,

http://www.icphusa.org/• Center for Law and Social Policy, http://www.clasp.org/• Center on Budget Policy and Priorities, http://www.cbpp.org/

Contact InformationFrancine K. Hahn, Staff AttorneyHomeless Persons Representation

Project201 N. Charles Street, Suite 1104Baltimore, MD 21201Phone: 410-685-0361, x-12fhahn@hprplaw.org

Bettye J. Poole, BLS, MPSAMcKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison, EVSC123 Main Street, DowntownEvansville IN  47708Phone: 812-435-8275 bettye.poole@evsc.k12.in.us

Grace C. Whitney, PhD, MPA, IMH-E(IV)

CT Head Start State Collaboration OfficeCT State Department of Education165 Capitol AvenueHartford, CT 06106Phone: 860-713-6767Email: grace.whitney@ct.gov