New Opportunities for Serving Homeless Children in Head Start

1
New Opportunities for Serving Homeless Children
in Head Start

• National Head Start Association
• 35th Annual Training Conference
• April 21, 2008
• Nashville, TN

2
Setting the Context Causes of Homelessness

• Lack of affordable housing
• Deep poverty (mean income of homeless families is
  46 of poverty many homeless families work and
  are still homeless due to low wages)
• Health problems
• Domestic violence
• Natural and other disasters
• Abuse/neglect (unaccompanied homeless youth who
  are pregnant or parenting)

3
Issues Facing Young ChildrenExperiencing
Homelessness

• Mobility - loss of structure, routine, stability
• Trauma and loss
• Deep poverty (deprivation, hunger)
• Higher rates of developmental delays
• Higher rates of chronic and acute health problems
  
• Mental health issues stress, anxiety, and
  depression
• Disrupted or stressed attachments to caregivers
• Invisibility

4
Head Start Findings

• Compared to non-homeless children served by Head
  Start (1999 HS demonstration programs), homeless
  children have
• Greater developmental delays (language)
• More learning disabilities
• More health and mental health problems
• Higher frequency of withdrawal, shyness,
  separation anxiety, short attention disorder,
  flat affect, aggression, hoarding, anxiety in
  response to changes in environment or staff
  absences, concern over getting enough food, and
  sharing toys

5
Barriers to Head StartACF-IM-92-12

• Lack of capacity due to insufficient Head Start
  funding
• High mobility prevents homeless children from
  reaching the top of waiting lists it also
  interferes with continued participation
• Required documents for enrollment
• Lack of full day Head Start slots
• Lack of child care (barriers to receiving
  subsidies)
• Lack of transportation to participate, both
  during and after loss of housing
• Lack of awareness of homelessness (invisibility)

6
Head Start Reauthorization Public Law 110-134

• Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of
  2007 signed in December 2007
• Public Law 110-134
• Information Memoranda and FAQs can be found on
  the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center
  - http//eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc

7
Setting the Context Defining Homelessness

• The new Head Start reauthorization includes a
  definition of homelessness that matches the
  definition of homelessness in the education
  subtitle of the McKinney-Vento Homeless
  Assistance Act, which governs public schools
• Identical definition is in the Child Nutrition
  Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education
  Act, and the Violence Against Women Act
• Housing and Urban Development (HUD) homeless
  programs use a more restrictive definition (but
  changes are pending)

8
Head Start Reauthorization Definition of
Homelessness

• Children who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate
  nighttime residence
• Sharing the housing of others due to loss of
  housing, economic hardship, or similar reason
• Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping
  grounds due to lack of adequate alternative
  accommodations
• Living in emergency or transitional shelters
• Abandoned in hospitals

9
Head Start Reauthorization Definition of
Homelessness, Contd.

• Awaiting foster care placement
• Living in a public or private place not designed
  for humans to live
• Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, bus
  or train stations, etc.
• Migratory children living in above circumstances
• Head Start cite 42 U.S.C. 9832(19)
• McKinney-Vento cite 42 U.S.C. 11434a(2)

10
Homeless Definition Why So Broad?

• Shelters are often full shelters may turn
  families away, or put families on waiting lists
• Shelters do not exist in many suburban and rural
  areas
• Eligibility conditions of shelters often exclude
  families with boys over the age of 12
• Motels may not be available, or may be too
  expensive
• Families may turn to friends or family after
  initial eviction, living in over-crowded,
  temporary, and sometimes unsafe environments
• Shelters often have 30, 60, or 90 day time limits
• Families may be unaware of alternatives, fleeing
  in crisis

11
Prevalence and Trends

• 907,228 homeless children identified and enrolled
  K-12 in 2005-2006 school year
• 56 living in doubled-up homeless situations
• 24 in shelters
• 7 in motels
• (National Center for Homeless Education, 2007)
• 40 of homeless children under the age of 5
• (Urban Institute, 1999)
• Homelessness among families appears to be
  increasing (housing crisis economy)
• (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2007)

12
Head Start Reauthorization and the
McKinney-Vento Act

• Numerous provisions in the Head Start
  reauthorization reference the McKinney-Vento
  Homeless Assistance Act
• McKinney-Vento originally enacted in 1987
  reauthorized in 2002 by NCLB (Title X, Part C)
• Main themes
• Stability
• Access
• Support for success
• Child-centered, best interest decision making

13
McKinney-Vento Personnel

• Every SEA has an Office of State Coordinator for
  the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
• Collaboration responsibilities across agencies
  and with communities
• Technical assistance to LEAs
• Compliance
• Professional development
• Data collection and reporting

14
McKinney-Vento Personnel

• Every LEA must designate a liaison for students
  in homeless situations
• Responsibilities
• Ensure that children and youth in homeless
  situations are identified through school and
  community
• Ensure that homeless students enroll in and have
  full and equal opportunity to succeed in school
• Make referrals for health, mental health, and
  other services, and ensure that homeless children
  receive Head Start and preschool programs
  administered by school districts

15
Local HomelessEducation Liaisons (cont.)

• Inform parents, guardians, or youth of
  educational and parent involvement opportunities
• Post public notice of educational rights
• Resolve disputes
• Inform parents, guardians, or youth of
  transportation services, including to the school
  of origin
• Collaborate and coordinate with community and
  school personnel

16
McKinney-Vento at a Glance

• School Stability
• Transportation
• Immediate Enrollment
• Enrolled During Disputes
• Comparable Services
• Covers preschool programs administered by LEAs
• Authorized at 70 million funded at 64 million
• 6 of school districts receive subgrants those
  districts served 50 of all identified homeless
  children (including 18,673 preschool children)
• Up for reauthorization with NCLB
• Title I set-aside for homeless students

17
Head Start Reauthorization Eligibility for
Homeless Children

• Homeless children are categorically eligible for
  Head Start 42 U.S.C. 9840(a)(1)(B)
• Verification of homeless living situation
  suffices for eligibility (no documentation of
  income required)
• Under McKinney-Vento, determinations of
  eligibility are case-by-case, individualized (see
  NCHE brief)

18
Head Start Reauthorization Eligibility for
Homeless Children

• Head Start programs can continue to serve 10 of
  their enrollment with children over the poverty
  line.
• Head Start programs may serve an additional 35
  with children from families with incomes up to
  130 of poverty.
• However, in order to exercise this option, Head
  Start programs must demonstrate that they are
  doing outreach to, prioritizing, and meeting the
  needs of children who are homeless and children
  from families with incomes below poverty. 42
  U.S.C. 9840(a)(1)(B)
• This provision is in effect immediately
  ACF-IM-HS-08-03

19
Head Start Reauthorization Enrollment of
Homeless Children

• Requires Secretary to issue regulations to remove
  barriers to the enrollment and participation of
  homeless children, including requiring Head Start
  agencies
• 1) to implement policies and procedures to ensure
  that homeless children are identified and
  prioritized for enrollment

20
Head Start Reauthorization Enrollment of
Homeless Children

• 2) to allow families of homeless children to
  apply to, enroll in, and attend Head Start
  programs while required documents are obtained
  within a reasonable time frame and
• 3) to coordinate individual Head Start programs
  with efforts to implement subtitle B of title
  VIII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance
  Act (42 U.S.S. 11431 et seq.)
• 42 U.S.C. 9835(m)

21
Head Start Reauthorization Enrollment

• Must maintain active wait list and conduct
  outreach and activities to identify underserved
  populations - 42 U.S.C. 9837(g)
• If under 97 funded enrollment, Secretary must
  collaboratively develop plans and timetables for
  reducing under-enrollment, taking into
  consideration changing demographics, mobility of
  populations, and the identification of new
  underserved low-income populations - 42 U.S.C.
  9836a(h)

22
Head Start Reauthorization Enrollment, Contd.

• If, after receiving technical assistance and
  developing and implementing a plan for reducing
  under-enrollment, a Head Start agency still
  operates with less than 97 percent enrollment,
  the Secretary may recapture or withhold funds.
• However, Secretary can waive or reduce funding
  reductions if causes of enrollment shortfalls
  include serving significant numbers of highly
  mobile children the shortfall is not
  significant or the shortfall can reasonably be
  expected to be temporary.
• 42 U.S.C. 9836a(h)

23
Head Start Reauthorization Increasing Access
and Participation

• Issues for Regulations and Implementation
• Identification
• Prioritization/enrollment
• Community needs assessments
• Reasonable time frame
• State licensing requirements
• Placement stability
• Transportation
• Coordination
• Program options

24
Identification Strategies

• Add a question about living situation to Head
  Start application (avoid using the word
  homeless instead, use descriptive phrases like
  in a shelter, motel, or living with someone else
  temporarily because of loss of housing or need)
• Collaborate with LEA homeless liaisons who can
  identify younger siblings of school-age children
• Recruit and provide outreach materials at
  shelters, motels, and other temporary living
  locations
• Collaborate with homeless service providers to
  assist with referrals (shelters, soup kitchens,
  CAP agencies, faith-based organizations)

25
Prioritization Possibilities

• Adding homelessness as a priority criterion in
  point systems
• Reserving slots programs (sometimes using state
  funds) find that this practice creates capacity,
  but raises enrollment issues that have
  implications for regulations
• Over-enrollment also may have implications for
  regulations
• Program options exploring home-based and
  locally-designed options
• Collaboration and Coordination
• Requires Head Start agencies to coordinate and
  collaborate with the agencies responsible for
  programs under Subtitle VII-B of the
  McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act - 42
  U.S.C. 9837(e)
• Requires each Head Start program to establish
  channels of communication between Head Start
  staff and McKinney-Vento liaisons to facilitate
  coordination of programs - 42 U.S.C. 9837a(a)
• Requires Head Start programs to develop and
  implement a family outreach and support program
  in coordination with outreach efforts under the
  McKinney-Vento Act - 42 U.S.C. 9837a(a)

26
Collaboration and Coordination

• Requires Head Start agencies to coordinate and
  collaborate with the agencies responsible for
  programs under Subtitle VII-B of the
  McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act - 42
  U.S.C. 9837(e)
• Requires each Head Start program to establish
  channels of communication between Head Start
  staff and McKinney-Vento liaisons to facilitate
  coordination of programs - 42 U.S.C. 9837a(a)
• Requires Head Start programs to develop and
  implement a family outreach and support program
  in coordination with outreach efforts under the
  McKinney-Vento Act - 42 U.S.C. 9837a(a)

27
Collaboration and Coordination

• Requires Head Start State Collaboration Directors
  to develop a strategic plan that will enhance
  collaboration and coordination with and services
  provided for homeless children, children in
  foster care, and children referred to Head Start
  programs by child welfare agencies, including
  agencies and State officials responsible for such
  services - 42 U.S.C. 9837b(a)(4)
• Requires Early Head Start programs to coordinate
  services with programs in the community for
  homeless infants and toddlers - 42 U.S.C.
  9840a(b)(5)

28
Strategies for Collaboration State Level

• Creating Opportunities to Come Together
• Discuss the provisions in the new Head Start Act
  and work together to find ways to make it happen
• Work together on the statewide needs assessment
  and strategic plan to ensure a place for children
  under five in the vision for McKinney-Vento in
  the state
• Work together at the state level to address
  barriers to implementation of the provisions of
  the Head Start Act, e.g., state regulations
  requiring certain documents prior to attendance
• Work together to support grantees as they explore
  new program options and identify state resources
  that might strengthen capacity within Head Start
  to serve this population

29
Next Steps Working Together

• Identify state homeless coordinators on the NCHE
  web site
• http//www.serve.org/nche/downloads/sccontact.pdf
  
• Identify and meet with local liaisons - they have
  expertise in identifying children obtaining
  immunization records recruiting accessing
  services (housing) help transitioning to school
  expedited evaluations shared resources school
  access through McKinney-Vento

30
Next Steps Working Together

• Work with HUD Continuums of Care - see HUD web
  site
• http//www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/budget/200
  7/index.cfm
• Include school liaisons, local homeless
  coalitions, and local homeless providers in
  community needs assessment
• Joint trainings
• Share best practices

31
Head Start Reauthorization Additional Head
Start Provisions

• New Programs
• Requires as a criteria for applicants for new
  Head Start programs a plan to meet the needs of
  homeless children and children in foster care,
  including transportation needs
• 42 U.S.C. 9836(d)(2)

32
Criteria in Allocating Funds to Expand Existing
Programs

• The extent to which applicants have undertaken
  community-wide strategic planning and needs
  assessments involving the LEA homeless liaison,
  and organizations providing services to homeless
  children
• The number of homeless children who are not
  participating in Head Start or other publicly
  funded early childhood education programs
• The extent to which applicants coordinate with
  LEA homeless liaisons
• 42 U.S.C. 9835(g)(2)

33
Quality Standards

• Requires the Secretary to establish standards for
  Head Start agencies, through regulation, taking
  into consideration best practices with respect to
  homeless children and children in foster care,
  and changes in the population of children who are
  eligible to participate in Head Start programs,
  including the family structure of such children
  (including children in foster care and the number
  of homeless children)
• 42 U.S.C. 9836a(a)(2)(B)

34
Training and Technical Assistance

• Requires the Secretary to provide technical
  assistance to improve outreach to, increase
  program participation of, and improve quality of
  services available to meet the unique needs of
  homeless children - 42 U.S.C. 9843(a)(3)(B)
• Requires the Secretary to provide, either
  directly or through grants or other arrangements,
  to support training for personnel to address the
  needs of homeless families - 42 U.S.C.
  9843(b)(2)(G)

35
Data Collection and Reporting

• Requires Head Start programs to collect data on
  the number of homeless children and children in
  foster care participating in the program
• Requires the Secretary to prepare a report on the
  status of children in Head Start programs,
  including homeless children, children in foster
  care, and children referred by child welfare
  agencies
• 42 U.S.C. 9846(a)

36
Sample Questions Community Needs Assessment

• How many preschool-aged children would qualify as
  homeless under the M-V definition over the course
  of a year?
• What are the trends in homelessness? Numbers
  increasing or decreasing? Causes?
• Where are homeless families staying? (Types of
  residences)
• What is the level of employment (full-day,
  half-day)?
• What is the availability of child-care subsidies?

37
Sample Questions Community Needs Assessment

• What state childcare licensing policies exist
  that might pose barriers to enrolling and serving
  homeless children?
• What resources and services exist in the
  community to serve homeless families and
  children?
• What types of homeless coalitions, task forces
  exist? (HUD Continuum of Care?)
• Do any additional state or school district-funded
  preschool programs serve homeless children? If
  not, why?

38
Sample Questions Community Needs Assessment

• What transportation resources exist in the
  community that could be tapped for transporting
  homeless preschoolers and their families?
• Who are the school district local homeless
  education liaisons in the communities you serve?
  What do the homeless education programs look
  like?

39
Resources

• National Association for the Education of
  Homeless Children and Youth -
• http//www.naehcy.org
• National Center on Homeless Education -
• http//www.serve.org/nche
• National Law Center on Homelessness Poverty -
• http//www.nlchp.org
• Horizons for Homeless Children -
• http//www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org

40
Save the Date

• NAEHCY 20th Annual Conference
• Oct 31-Nov. 3, 2008
• Crystal City, VA
• www.naehcy.org

41
Contact Information

• Barbara Duffield, Policy Director
• National Association for the Education of
  Homeless Children and Youth
• Website www.naehcy.org
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• bduffield_at_naehcy.org