Early Childhood/Head Start

Supporting Whole-Family Approaches to Housing Stability and Economic Mobility: The Role of Early Care and Education Providers

Home, Together, the federal strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness, focuses on strategies to ensure that homelessness is a rare, brief, and one-time experience. In order to achieve that goal, national, state, and local partners must work across sectors to build a coordinated community response that addresses the strengths and needs of individuals and… Read more »

Non-Regulatory Guidance: Early Learning in the Every Student Succeeds Act

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/essaelguidance10202016.pdf The U.S. Department of Education released Non-Regulatory Guidance: Early Learning in the Every Student Succeeds Act. Highlights from the guidance follow: PRESCHOOL SUPPORTS UNDER MCKINNEY-VENTO (pages 12-13) The guidance summarizes key supports for young homeless children included in ESSA amendments to the McKinney-Vento Act. These supports include requiring SEAs and LEAs to review and… Read more »

Interagency Policy Statement on Early Childhood Homelessness

The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Education released an interagency policy statement on early childhood homelessness. As shown in this new infographic, in the United States, infancy is the age at which individuals are most likely to enter a shelter or transitional housing, followed by ages one to… Read more »

Policy Statement on Meeting the Needs of Families with Young Children Experiencing and At Risk of Homelessness

On October 31, 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Department of Education released a joint policy statement providing recommendations on ways in which early childhood and housing providers at the local and, in some cases, State levels can collaborate to provide… Read more »

Access to Early Childhood Development Services for Homeless Families with Young Children: An Exploratory Project

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ecd/access_to_early_childhood_development_services_for_homeless_families.pdf The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services(HHS) released a new report entitled Access to Early Childhood Development Services for Homeless Families with Young Children: An Exploratory Project. Homelessness in the United States is a complex and persistent problem. For families with young versus older children experiencing homelessness, solutions are made more elusive by… Read more »

Family Interventions for Youth Experiencing Homelessness or At Risk of Homelessness

https://aspe.hhs.gov/pdf-report/family-interventions-youth-experiencing-or-risk-homelessness The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a new report entitled Family Interventions for Youth Experiencing Homelessness or At Risk of Homelessness. Family conflict is a key driver of youth homelessness; and most programs serving youth experiencing homelessness use some form of family intervention to address conflict and help reconnect youth when… Read more »

Youth.gov

http://youth.gov/youth-topics/runaway-and-homeless-youth/resources-young-parents-children Youth.gov, the federal government’s online portal that provides information on funding and implementing evidence-based youth programs, has developed a webpage focused on young parents experiencing homelessness and their children. Practitioners, policymakers, and young parents can use this online database to find resources about programs, guidance, practices, and supports available to young homeless parents and… Read more »

Early Care and Education Advocacy: A Tip Sheet for Housing and Homeless Assistance Providers

This short document provides basic information to help housing and homeless assistance providers advocate with their families and youth for appropriate educational services, from birth through higher education. The rights and protections outlined here apply to all children and youth experiencing homelessness, as defined by the education subtitle of the McKinney-Vento Act.

Administration on Children and Families (ACF) Homeless Materials

The Department of Health and Human Services/Administration on Children and Families (HHS/ACF) has developed information and resources to assist early childhood programs in meeting the needs of young homeless children.Several of the documents mention how Head Start grantees should coordinate with McKinney-Vento programs.

Early Childhood Self-Assessment Tool for Family Shelters

The Early Childhood Self-Assessment Tool for Family Shelters is specifically designed to help shelter staff members create shelter environments that are safe and developmentally appropriate for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. In this tool, you will find recommendations and information on how your shelter environment, programming, policies, and staff can support early childhood safety and development. Similar tools have been developed and implemented with much success in child care, early learning, and early childhood development settings.

Early Childhood Homelessness in the United States: 50-State Profile, January 2016

Early Childhood Homelessness in the United States: 50-State Profile

Current research establishes a strong connection between a young child’s early experiences and the developing of his or her brain structure. According to the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, the early years of life can provide a strong or weak foundation for all future learning, behavior and health

CCDF Homelessness State Self-Assessment

Supporting Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness:  Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) State Self-Assessment

This self-assessment tool identifies key policies and practices that may improve inclusivity of homeless children in early care and education settings. State advocates or administrators can use the tool to identify policies and practices that are already in place, as well as those they could consider implementing or enhancing. Most states will not be able to implement every best practice and model policy included in this tool; however, using the self-assessment can provide states and advocates with a better understanding of what those best practices and model policies are so they can better identify those that are most feasible to implement. Although the tool was primarily created to support states in leveraging the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) State Plan to improve access to child care for homeless families, the policies and practices laid out could be applied to virtually any early care and education program

CCDF Homelessness State Guide

Supporting Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness:  Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) State Guide

This guide is intended to assist states in utilizing their CCDF state plan (“CCDF Plan”) as a vehicle for improving access to high-quality early care and education for children who experience homelessness. The guide provides background information on child and family homelessness, including common barriers and challenges and best practices for serving homeless families; a summary of requirements of the CCDBG Act related to homelessness; and a summary of some of the opportunities available through the state CCDF Plan to improve access.

Head Start and Early Head Start For Children in Out-of-Home Care

Head Start is a federally funded program for preschool children in economically disadvantaged families. This comprehensive child development program offers an array of educational, health, social, and other services, with a particular focus on early reading and math skills. Head Start also provides health screenings that include physicals, immunizations, dental examinations, vision and hearing screenings, and mental health assessments. Early Head Start provides services to children birth to three years of age and their families, as well as pregnant women.

Head Start Reauthorization: November 15, 2007

On Wednesday, November 14, the House and Senate passed the “Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007.” The legislation, which reauthorizes the Head Start Act, now moves on to the President’s desk. President Bush is expected to sign the measure into law before the end of the year.

The “Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007” contains numerous provisions on homeless children and children in foster care.