Parenting in the Face of Homelessness

Abstract

The number of families with children experiencing homelessness increased by over 30 % from 2007 to 2011 (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (2012). 6th Annual Homelessness Report. Washington DC: HUD. Of the more than 300,000 children within these families, it is estimated that 40–50 % are under age 6 National Center on Family Homelessness (2011). America’s youngest outcasts 2010: State report card on child homelessness. National Center on Family Homelessness. These young children and their families are disproportionately more likely to experience a myriad of other structural, economic, social, and health stressors. Left unaddressed, these stress experiences can adversely influence children’s short- and long-term growth, development, and well-being (Shonkoff, 2011). Recent research demonstrates the protective influence that positive parent–child relationships can exert on children’s development (Shonkoff, J. P. (2011). Protecting brains, not simply stimulating minds. Science, 333, 982–98. This chapter provides an overview of parenting within the context of homelessness, followed by practice and policy suggestions for promoting positive parent–child relationships among families experiencing homelessness.