Casting a Wide Net to Support Young Children Experiencing Homelessness

1. Casting a Wide Net to Support Young Children Experiencing Homelessness Creating Connections to Shining Stars July 23, 2013 Patricia A. Popp, Ph.D. The College of William and Mary

2. Agenda • Why we need to work together • Legislation • Research • Virginia’s story • Promising practices & resources • Questions and your ideas

3. Risk Factors • Housing • Inconsistent and inadequate health care • Inadequate nutrition • Adolescent mothers • Disrupted or limited family support • Emotional stress or depression

4. Warm up questions

5. How many new neural connections are made each second? • 200 • 400 • 500 • 700 • 850

6. At what age do disparities in vocabulary appear? • 6 months • 12 months • 18 months • 2 years • 3 years

7. When children experience 6-7 risk factors, what is the chance of development delay? • 25 – 50% • 50 – 75% • 75 – 85% • 90 – 100%

8. What are the odds of adult heart disease after 7-8 adverse childhood experiences (ACE)? • 3:1 • 5:1 • 10:1 • 20:1

9. What is the estimated return on investment for early childhood programs? (for each dollar spent) • $2 - $4 • $4 - $9 • $10 - $15

10. Why We Need to Work Together

11. …because we have to… The laws say so…

12. Who is Homeless? • McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act - ESEA, Title X, Part C • Same definition referenced in • IDEA 2004 • Child Nutrition Act • Head Start Act • Higher Education Act

13. McKinney-Vento ESEA, Title X, Part C “(f) FUNCTIONS OF THE OFFICE OF COORDINATOR- The Coordinator for Education of Homeless Children and Youths established in each State shall-- (1) gather reliable, valid, and comprehensive information on the nature and extent of the problems homeless children and youths have in gaining access to public preschool programs and to public elementary schools and secondary schools, the difficulties in identifying the special needs of such children and youths, any progress made by the State educational agency and local educational agencies in the State in addressing such problems and difficulties, and the success of the programs under this subtitle in allowing homeless children and youths to enroll in, attend, and succeed in, school;” (Section 722(f)(1))

14. Head Start State Collaboration Office “ The state receiving the [HSSCO] grant shall…ensure that the collaboration described …involves coordination of Head Start services with …services for homeless children.” Head Start Act Section 640(a)(5)(c )

15. IDEA: Child Find • The State must ensure that all students with disabilities who need special education are identified, located, and evaluated: specifically includes students experiencing homelessness, including infants and toddlers. 1412(a)(3)(A), 1435; 300.111 • Part C, too: A statewide system must include “a comprehensive child find system, consistent with Part B, including a system for making referrals to service providers … that ensures rigorous standards for appropriately identifying infants and toddlers.” 1435; 303.301(b) • Since McKinney-Vento liaisons must identify children and youth who are homeless, this is an excellent area for cross-program collaboration

16. Defining homelessness for EHCY • An individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including children and youth : • sharing housingdue to loss of housing or economic hardship • living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate housing • living in emergency or transitional housing

17. Defining homeless-ness (cont’d) Including children and youth : • abandoned in hospitals • awaiting foster care • having a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, regular sleeping accommodations

18. Defining homeless-ness (cont’d) • living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations • migratory studentsmeeting the description • unaccompanied youth meeting the description • How eligibility is determined by a liaison: http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/det_elig.pdf

19. What Does the McKinney-Vento Act Ensure?* • Immediate enrollment and full participation in classes • Access to programs and support • School stability • Child-centered best interest decision making *compulsory education

20. …because we need to… What we do changes lives…

21. Children Experiencing Homelessness • One in 45 children (NCFH, 2011) • Families with young children are the fastest growing subgroup

22. Young Children Experiencing Homelessness • Nationally, more than half of all sheltered children were under age 6 • Virginia, 45% of children in homeless shelters under age of five. (3470 of 5552 in 2010)

23. Poverty & Special Needs • “Poverty and its attendant stressors have the potential to shape the neurobiology of the developing child in powerful ways…” (Duncan, Ziol-guest, Kalil, 2010) • Experiences build brain architecture • Connections and pruning

24. Homeless and Special Needs • “Compared to middle class peers and low-income children who are housed, “young homeless children experience more developmental delays, emotional problems such as anxiety and depression, and behavior issues.” Education Law Center, 2010

25. Center on the Developing Child • Jack Shonkoff • http://developingchild.harvard.edu

26. Virginia retrospective

27. Some past and current initiatives What’s your landscape? • ECEN • VA Commission on Youth Study • Shelter Child Services Coordinators • ECSE PP • ECSE homeless grant (2003) • CCSSC • Head Start Task Force • VICC • http://eipd.vcu.vcu

28. Promising Practices and Resources • http://center.serve.org/nche/pr/parent_pack.php • Parent Pak adapted for younger children • Summary of state early childhood programs • “One stop shop” website • Good connections • Training – implementation focus

29. Tips for discussing/identifying • Avoid using “homeless” • Focus on temporary nature of housing or being in transition • Describe the type of residence: • Shelter, transitional housing • Hotel/motel • Living temporarily with family or friends due to economic hardship • Other • Reluctance

30. Homelessness Online Lessons • From the National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement • http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/family/Family%20and%20Community%20Partnerships/Crisis%20Support/Homelessness/homelessness.html

31. Implementation Challenges • Verification: who is homeless • Enrollment records • Building relationships – shelters and liaisons • Lack of space • Mobility and lack of notice • Transportation

32. Enrollment Records • Caution: sensitive residence verification • New on-line immunization database • Coordination with schools • Parent Pack • Need for extended timeline?

33. No room in the inn! • Early registration timelines: Current families register and allow another homeless family to take the space? • Help before office enrollment • Invite to socialization activities • Provide books or toys • Home visiting when doubled up or shelter space are inappropriate • Open up HS place space, classrooms, etc.

34. Mobility and lack of notice • Build trust • Have other contacts on file – release of information • Emphasize mobility, transition rather than “homeless” • Recognize fear to share what basics are not available

35. Transportation • Significant barrier to participation • If parent has a car, reimburse for mileage or use gas cards • Explore coordination with schools: preschool, ECSE programs • Use public transportation bus/metro tickets/passes • Use feasibility worksheet to determine school of origin for stability:

36. State • Training - Regional, Part C Early Intervention Specialists on MV • Head Start/Early Head Start/VPI • MV training for registrars, home visitors, and teachers • Procedures ensure programs adhere to MV • MV Point-of-Contact • Registration for Head Start/Shelters • Enrollment prioritized for MV students • Data collection (tracking form)

37. Discussion • What is the current “ecosystem” in your community? • What are the strengths/challenges? • What action is necessary to develop a comprehensive early childhood program on State and Local levels?

38. Helpful Web Sites • Head Start: www.ECLKC.ohs.hhs.gov • Project HOPE-VA: www.wm.edu/hope • CoC - http://www.hudhre.info • NCHE - http://center.serve.org/nche/ibt/sc_preschool.php • NLCHP - www.nlchp.org • NAEHCY – www.naehcy.org • Project FORUM -http://projectforum.org/docs/HomelessandSpecialEducationAdministrativeCollaboration.pdf

39. Why We Need to Work Together • Because we have to…mandates • Because our children and their families have complex needs and the only way to truly make a difference is through sharing our strengths

40. Thanks for all you do! • HMSE_PICS.mpg