The role of supportive housing in homeless children's well-being: An investigation of child welfare and educational outcomes

Abstract

Research has demonstrated that homeless children have disproportionate negative academic experiences, including absenteeism, high rates of mobility, grade repetition, and the need for special education services, which may all contribute to poor academic performance. Homeless children are also more exposed to violence and social isolation due to their often dangerous living environments, past histories of victimization, and trauma experienced by their mothers. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of family supportive housing service receipt on children's well-being, including the academic functioning and child protection involvement of homeless children. A total of 183 children's supportive housing records were sequentially linked to data from the Minnesota Departments of Education and Human Services, including the Minnesota Automated Reporting Student System, MCA-II database, and Social Services Information System through Minn-LInK. Generalized Estimating Equation analysis was implemented to examine the three-year longitudinal role of supportive housing for homeless children's educational and child protection outcomes. Significantly positive effects of recipients of supportive housing services were found in school mobility, school attendance, and math achievement. The proportion of children with child protection involvement for the supportive housing group sharply decreased over time. Recommendations for policy and future research are made; study limitations are addressed.