Resources for Webinar
Serving Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness
January 14, 2010
Program Self-Assessment to Increase HS/EHS Services to Families and Children Experiencing Homelessness
Recruitment
• What types of shelters are located in your communities?
– Family shelters
– Domestic violence shelters
– Substance abuse shelters
– Transitional housing
– Other
• Are there campgrounds, trailer parks and motels in your communities?
• Are there sections of your service area that have traditionally been areas where families are doubled up?
• Have you developed relationships with these agencies, organizations, and housing advocates?
• How can you learn more about where families are living while waiting for subsidized housing?
• Have you developed strategies to recruit children from areas where homeless families reside in your communities?
• Does your program update your Community Assessment with local homeless data for program planning?
• Has your program developed specific selection criteria for prioritizing homeless children?
• Are there questions on your application form that can alert your staff to the instability of a family’s housing situation?
Selection Criteria
• Does your enrollment staff need training to better understand Head Start’s priority status for homeless children and families?
• Does your enrollment staff know the addresses of all shelters and motels in your service area? Are they aware of other locations such as campgrounds, etc.?
• How does your program document a family’s homeless status?
• How does your program follow up with pending applications from homeless families?
Enrollment of Homeless Children
• Does your program have a MOU with area shelters that addresses contact protocol, ongoing communication, joint staff training, transportation issues and transition plans?
• Does your program have a plan for obtaining necessary paperwork once the child is enrolled?
Attendance Issues for Homeless Children
• Does your program track attendance of homeless children differently?
• Does your program have a classroom late policy that supports the attendance of homeless children?
• Has your program developed a specialized transition plan to help homeless children and parents separate?
• How can your program work with shelter staff to improve the attendance of homeless children?
• How can your program help homeless parents understand the importance of regular attendance?
Stacy Dimino, Project Director MA TTA Center at the Education Development Center, Inc.
A member of the National Head Start Training and Technical Assistance Network