Transcript Document 7117074

NAEHCY’s 18th Annual Conference
Little Rock, AR
Young Homeless Children and Families:
Strategies for Increasing Access
to Services and Support
Pre-Conference Institute
November 11, 2006
How many young children experience
homelessness?
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1.35 million children
10% of all children living in poverty
50% of all homeless children are under 6
Impact of Homelessness on
Young Children
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Health
Developmental delays
Educational Achievement
Domestic Violence
Mental Health
Stress
Behavior
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Withdrawal
Aggression
Boundaries
Hoarding
Depression
Independence
Care-taking
Sleeping and Eating
Early Care and Education
Landscape
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Early care and education (ECE) system includes child
care and education for children birth to age 5
ECE is a fragmented “system” of parallel systems
– Various settings, locations
– Different originating legislation and regulations,
governing structures, systems for monitoring and
quality control
– Separate and combined public and private funding
that varies state to state, city to city, year to year
Early Care and Education
Landscape
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Head Start & Early Head Start
Child Care
IDEA
State Pre-Kindergarten Programs
Other Early Care and Education Partners
Early Care and Education
Landscape – Head Start
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Federal funds directly to local communities - over
2,500 grantees/delegate agencies
– Some states provide supplemental funding
Head Start began in 1964 as a program of the War on
Poverty & Early Head Start began in 1994
Comprehensive child development program:
– Head Start serves ages 3 to 5 –Head Start is in
nearly every community nationwide
– Early Head Start serves pregnant women and
children birth to age 3 – Several grantees per state
Early Care and Education
Landscape: Head Start
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Comprehensive and two-generational services
– Health and learning, disabilities, family development
and support, community partnerships
At least 90% at or below federal poverty
At least 10% with identified disability
Federal Bureau with Regional Office oversight and
State Collaboration Offices
Federal Program Performance Standards and
monitoring system
Early Care and Education
Landscape: Child Care
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Federal CCDF block grant that states can supplement
– State and local child care funding supplements
– States can use federal TANF block grant funds
Designated “state child care administrator”
State administrative rules, e.g., eligibility, priorities
State and some local regulations
CCDF requires coordination of ALL child care through
Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (CCR&R)
CCDF designates set asides for quality initiatives and
services for infants and toddlers
Early Care and Education
Landscape: Child Care
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Subsidized Child Care
– State-funded child care centers, networks of family
child care homes through contracts and grants to
local agencies
Child Care Subsidies, or Vouchers
– Used by families to purchase care from licensed
and unregulated care providers, including relatives
and friends, for the care that best meets their needs
Serve children from infants through school-age
Early Care and Education
Landscape: IDEA Parts B & C
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Federal funds to states under Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
– Part B – Preschool Special Education for ages 3-5
– Part C – Infants and Toddlers
Uses McKinney-Vento definition of homeless
Provides for identification, location, evaluation and
education of children with disabilities who are
experiencing homelessness
– Individualized Plan
– Home-based, classroom & consultation models
– Goal of mainstreaming
Early Care and Education
Landscape – State Pre-K Programs
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State funding of preschool services for 4-year-olds or
for 3- and 4-year-olds
State Departments of Education provide leadership
and provide funding to local school districts
– Both school based and community providers
– Both targeted and universal designs
– State Cabinets and integrated state agencies and
departments
– Local councils and community partnerships
Most states now have some type of state pre-k system
Other Potential ECE Partners
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ESEA Title I
- Children birth to school entry at risk of school
failure can be included
Non-profit and philanthropic initiatives
- e.g., United Way Success-by-Six
Local Government
- County and city programs, children’s libraries,
recreation programs
Religious and family service organizations
Early Care & Education Landscape
in Your World – A Grid
Work with someone sitting near you to complete the Early
Care and Education Infrastructure in My State/
Community for either the state or local level
If you cannot complete a cell, use the Early Care and
Education Resource List to find a resource for
obtaining the name, contact information you needs to
completer our grid.
You will have 5 minutes for this activity.
Barriers to Early Care and
Education
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Program enrollment requirements (residency, birth
certificates, immunizations, documentation of income)
Lack of available slots and/or programs due to
insufficient funding
Waiting lists—High mobility prevents children from
reaching the top
Lack of transportation
Lack of awareness, understanding of homelessness
Lack of full day programming
Confusion regarding free care versus costs for care
Federal Legislation: The McKinneyVento Act
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McKinney-Vento applies to preschool programs
operated by LEAs and SEAs
State plans must ensure that children have access to
preschool programs.
Liaisons must ensure that families and children receive
Head Start, Even Start and preschool programs.
State Coordinators must coordinate with social
services agencies, child development and preschool
program personnel and other agencies to provide
comprehensive services to preschoolers
Federal Legislation: Title I
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Children and youth experiencing homelessness are
automatically eligible for Title I services, no matter what
school they attend. [Title I Part A, 1115(b)(2)(E)]
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LEAs must reserve (set aside) funds to provide
comparable services to homeless children, including
educationally related support services. [Title I Part A,
1113(c)(3)(A)]
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LEA Title I plans must describe the services that will be
provided to homeless children, including services from
the set-aside. [Title I Part A, 1112(b)(1)(O)]
Federal Legislation: Head Start
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In 1992, HHS issued guidance describing how Head
Start grantees should collaborate with State
Coordinators, liaisons and community agencies and
adjust their programs to serve children in homeless
situations, and clarified misperceptions about average
daily attendance. Guidance available at:
www.naehcy.org/federalpolicy.html
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Pending changes to the Head Start Act
Federal Legislation: IDEA 2004
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IDEA now includes a definition of homeless that is
consistent with the M-V definition
IDEA’s child find provisions require that children with
disabilities experiencing homelessness be identified,
located and evaluated
Federal Legislation: IDEA 2004
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IDEA requires early intervention services to be made
available to all infants and toddlers—the new law
specifically mentions homeless children.
States are required to meaningfully involve homeless
families and wards of the state in their special
education programs for infants and toddlers.
Strategies for Identifying Young
Children ExperiencingHomelessness
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When providing services to families who have children
(K-12), inquire about the possibility of having younger
children not in primary education
Partner with family shelter agencies (family, DV,
emergency foster care) to identify young children
Develop community awareness of who is eligible for
services
Strategies for Identifying Young
Children ExperiencingHomelessness
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Participate in community early childhood program
outreach activities
Provide professional development to local early
childhood education programs and engage their
agreement to identify children-particularly in doubledup situations
Remember, we cannot do it alone!
Strategies for Accessing Early Care
and Education Programs
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Connect with local Child Care Resource and Referral
Agency CCRRs find them in the yellow pages of your
phone book or online
CCRRs can help you understand the early care and
education system in your community
Strategies for Accessing Early Care
and Education Programs
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Identify the existing early care and education
programs and contacts within your district and
community
Provide awareness and education to of the McKinneyVento Homeless Assistance Act
Engage early care and education program staff as well
as school district staff personnel to:
- Foster relationships and build trust
- Create awareness and understanding
- Share data and resources
Strategies for Accessing Early Care
and Education
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Participate in and organize meetings with community
service agencies on needs of young children and
families experiencing homelessness; availability of
early childhood programs, identification of, enrollment,
transportation, and family services.
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Train school district and community staff about the
definitions, rights, and unique needs of young children
experiencing homelessness.
Strategies for Accessing Early Care
and Education
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Develop a strong plan to address mobility through
close coordination with families, shelters and
community agencies.
Have a plan to help children and staff adjust to turnover
in enrollment during the year.
Develop services and programs to “fill in community
gaps”
Strategies for Accessing Early Care
and Education
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Identify available slots for children experiencing
homelessness, and/or prioritize these children on
waiting lists.
Permit children to enroll in early care and education
programs immediately, even without meeting
enrollment document requirements, while documents
are obtained.
Strategies for Accessing Early Care
and Education
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Include homelessness in the list of criteria for priority
enrollment, classify homelessness as an “at risk” factor,
and/or include homelessness specifically as a criterion
for "most in need.”
Local, Regional or Statewide Summit
- Bring together district and school level liaisons with
Head Start and Preschool Director
Strategies for Accessing Special
Education Services for Young Children
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Establish partnerships with existing Child Find agencies to
assist with the identification of children who are homeless
and are delayed/or at risk of delay
Provide outreach activities to shelters to offer
developmental screenings and referrals to early
intervention services
Establish relationships with the school district’s special
education Pre-K programs to encourage the expedition of
evaluations
Explore offering on-site structured play groups with parents
with children with delays, facilitated by speech,
occupational, and/or physical therapists, or parent
educators
Strategies for Accessing Early Care
and Education: MOPCHP
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Mobile Outreach Parent-Child Home Program
(MOPCHP) is a home visiting, early intervention, early
literacy and family support program serving families
challenged by poverty, limited education, language and
literacy barriers
Supports the parent-child relationship and verbal
interaction as a critical component of early childhood
cognitive and social development.
Serving families with children ages 18 months- four
years old in the home
Research supports the success of the program in
preparing children for school
Strategies for Accessing Early Care
and Education: MOPCHP
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Successfully serving homeless families in Suffolk
County, New York since 2001.
Families receive approximately 48 new books and toys
over the course of two years
Successfully serving homeless families in Suffolk
County, New York since 2001.
Refer to: www.parent-child.org for more about the
program and how to apply to begin a program
Strategies for Accessing Early Care
and Education: Playspaces
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Designs and equips age-appropriate, child-friendly
Playspaces
Develops relationships with residents and staff in
shelter
Recruits, trains and places volunteers
Provides young homeless children in shelters with
opportunities to play and grow
Technical Assistance Department
- Provides help to national and local organizations
- Hosts Young Children Without Homes Conference
May 16-18, 2007
Putting it All in Action: ProblemSolving Scenarios
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Work with people seated near you
Assign a recorder/reporter
Read scenario and answer questions
We’ll report out in 15 minutes
Scenario One: Lorraine
Lorraine has relocated from another state with two
children, ages 8 and 3. She discloses that her oldest is in
school with an IEP, she refers to him as being ADHD and
“just slow.” The school papers she provides to you
clarifies the child was born with cocaine in his blood
system. She has not provided any disclosing information
about the younger child, however you observe that when
the child talks, he is extremely difficult to understand and
generally only says one or two words.
Scenario Two: Sam
You arrive at a shelter because you hear there is a family
there with questions about transporting their 3rd grader to
his school of origin and communication with the mom has
been difficult because she is frequently out looking for
housing or work. The shelter manager tells you that the
mom and her son were in the children’s room, which is in
the basement so you go to find them. When you get to
the children’s room you find a man with two small girls
who tells you the woman has just left. Sam is reading to
the girls in a room that has a conference table with five
unmatched chairs, two bookcases and books for all ages
strewn all over the floor.
Scenario Two Continued: Sam
You learn that the two girls, ages 3 and 4, are his
youngest children. His other daughter and two sons, ages
5, 7, and 10, are in school and his wife is a work. The
girls are appropriately reticent at first and you notice that
the 4-year-old’s left eye is turned in. You begin speaking
with the dad and learn that the 5-year-old had not
attended any preschool program prior to entering school
and his 4-year-old has also never been in any type of
early care and education program. When you ask
whether he is familiar with Head Start he says he is not
going to use any programs for which he will have to pay
back for services once he is on his feet.
Scenario Two Continued: Sam
You ask about health care needs and about his
daughter’s vision and he says they have been meaning to
go back to the clinic but have just never had the time.
When you return to the shelter manager’s office and ask
about the relationship with Head Start she says that Head
Start always has a waiting list and it is impossible to get
anyone in.
Scenario Three: Rachel
Rachel is a parent of five children under the age of seven.
Two are in elementary school and three are five and
under. She reports she has found housing and has also
obtained a job. She shares she does not know how she’s
going to get to work on time. Rachel reports that her
work day begins at 8:00 a.m. She asks for help getting
daycare.
Scenario Four: Tim
Tim has recently moved into the local family shelter with
his four children, Steven age 6, twin girls Susie and
Rochelle, 4 and Matthew age 2. As the local liaison, you
stop by the shelter to see how you can help. Tim opens
his room door and one of the girls wraps her arms around
your legs and asks if she can come home with you.
Matthew is crying strapped into a car seat on the floor.
Tim shares that he has recently been given his children
by Child Protective Services and feels overwhelmed. He
has not spent more than a few months with his children in
the past and blames their mom for the children's situation.
(Continued)
Scenario Four, Continued: Tim
Steven is enrolled in school across town and Tim thinks
he may have speech problems though no one from the
school has contacted him about his concern. Susie is
overly friendly and Rochelle does not make any eye
contact. Tim does not think the younger three children
have seen a doctor in a very long time. You mention to
Tim that there is a neighborhood preschool program at
the local elementary school that Susie and Rochelle
could attend. Tim says he does not know where any of
the children's records are. Matthew continues to cry and
you ask Tim if you can remove him from the car seat.
Once soothed he is placed on the floor where he crawls.
Scenario Five: Tina
Tina is a pregnant young mom, age 19, with a three year
old and a two year old. She and her husband lost their
housing in Jonesville and are in a shelter. It is apparent
the children are language delayed. Tina needs to have
them evaluated and see if they qualify for services. While
she is thinking about this, they are moved to a shelter in a
nearby town, Clark.
How does Tina get her children evaluated and who
provides the services if they qualify?
Scenario Five, Continued: Tina
The family receives special education services for the
older child. She is placed in a special ed preschool. The
family is then moved to three different towns,
successively.
How does the child stay in the preschool program? The
younger child is still not evaluated.
Scenario Five, Continued: Tina
The family finds permanent housing in Norwood.
How does Tina continue to get services for her children
now that they are housed in a school district
permanently?
Scenario Six: Marina and Jose
Marina and her husband Jose have recently relocated
from CA to Alaska. They have five children , Tatiana 7,
Paul 6, Gilbert 4, Peter 3, and Benjamen, 2. Currently
they are staying in a motel and have not enrolled their
school age children in school. Marina and Jose are not
sure where to enroll their children, as they often have to
move around because their children are very noisy.
Having been diagnosed with autism, Tatiana has been
attending an intensive needs classroom in CA. Paul has
learning difficulties and an expired IEP. (Continued)
Scenario Six: Marina and Jose
Because of the many moves prior to arriving in Alaska,
Marina and Jose have misplaced the children's school
records. Peter cannot talk and walks on his toes. Neither
Peter or Benjamen have had developmental screenings.
Marina is a “stay at home” mom who cares deeply for her
children and states that she does not want her younger
children to attend school until kindergarten age. Jose
suffers from mental health issues and has difficulty
holding a steady job.
Scenario Seven: Gertrude
Chloe, age 4 is attending the neighborhood Title 1
preschool at the local elementary school. She was being
walked to school by her mom until recently. Her mother,
Ann, has temporarily lost physical custody of Chloe, along
with her sister Kerry, age 8 and Emily, age 1, due to
substance abuse. Ann is working her case plan and
hopes to have the children back with her within a few
months. The children are in kinship care with their
maternal grandmother Gertrude who is also doubled up
with friends. Gertrude is not currently working but needs
to find employment. Gertrude does not receive any
benefits for the girls and is feeling the financial squeeze
of caring for her grandchildren.
Scenario Seven (Cont’d): Gertrude
Gertrude talks about child care if she finds work, but does
not know how to go about finding or paying for it. Kerry
attends a school outside of Gertrude’s current housing
location and needs transportation in order to stay in her
home school. Ann does not have her own vehicle and will
be unable to get Chloe to preschool once the children are
returned to her as she just took an apartment across town.
Gertrude is concerned about Emily's constant crying and
worries that “there may be something going on.” Gertrude
has no idea how to identify resources and thinks maybe it
would be easier to just transfer Kerry to the neighborhood
school and have Chloe stay home. Walking her to school
while pushing Emily in the stroller is just too hard.
Scenario Eight: Anna
Anna and her husband have just relocated and are in
shelter with their two sons, ages 6 months and 4, and two
sons, ages 5 and 8, from her husband’s first marriage.
Her husband is working days. You learn that the mom
has used early care and education programs for the 4and 5-year-olds in the past while living in Florida.
Although the first program she used she suspected one of
the children was being abused, the second programs she
used for over two years and said she was satisfied with
how they worked with the children to get them ready for
school. Since coming to the state six months ago the 4year-old has been only with her though she did call Head
Start in another town but they had no space.
Scenario Eight (Cont’d): Anna
Anna wanted a place where she could have her two
youngest children together so she could go back to
school, but the Head Start did not serve children younger
than 3 and she was pretty picky about where she might
leave her baby after the abuse experience she had in
Florida. “You can’t replace a child.” The 5- and 8-yearold were both in school although the 5-year-old presently
was missing after being kidnapped from the shelter
parking lot last week by his mother. Overall, Anna
expressed no health or developmental concerns for her
children. However, the 4-year-old was not speaking.
She stated “You must do everything on your own in this
shelter!”
Scenario Nine: Cindy
Cindy has been in shelter for several months with her two
children, ages 1 and 3 years. As we speak, she has her
baby lying lethargically across her lap. Birth
complications left him with a number of health and
developmental issues. Although she has been using the
local clinic and VNA regularly, her attempts to connect
with the IDEA Part B provider in her area have been
challenging. Her pediatrician asked her to make contact
with them several times and in addition to long waits for
appointments, there were no-shows for the two
appointments actually scheduled over six months.
Scenario Nine (Cont’d): Cindy
Cindy’s three-year-old daughter is in early care now for
the first time. She has been attending a therapeutic
nursery program mornings for almost 2 months. Mom
says her daughter misses home, doesn’t listen, is back on
diapers and is defiant. She received speech therapy
under IDEA Part B after the pediatrician noticed that she
was not talking at 15 months but it stopped when she
turned three and the Part B provider referred her to Head
Start. She is on the Head Start wait list and will
apparently receive speech supports in Head Start when
she goes.
Scenario Nine (Cont’d): Cindy
Cindy was not familiar with the state’s child care subsidy
program or subsidized child care centers and only found
out about the therapeutic nursery program because a
friend told her about it. Cindy has had a number of
shelter episodes in recent years following serious
domestic violence, which left her suffering from deep
depression. She is on SSI.
Resources
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NAEHCY - www.naehcy.org
Horizons for Homeless Children:
www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org
National Center on Homeless Education www.serve.org
National Law Center on Homelessness &
Poverty - www.nlchp.org
Save the Date!
The Second Young Children Without Homes
National Conference
May 16-18, 2007
Newton, MA
www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org
Contact Information
Barbara Duffield, Policy Director
National Association for the Education of Homeless Children
and Youth
Phone: 202-364-7392
Email: [email protected]
Sarah Benjamin, Teacher Liaison
Mobile Outreach Parent-Child Home Program
Eastern Suffolk BOCES
Phone: 631-727-0501
Email: [email protected]
Contact Information
Joanne Miro, State Coordinator
Delaware Department of Education
Phone: 302.735.4273
Email: [email protected]
Mary Jane Quick, Youth Services Coordinator,
Project Connect
Columbus Public Schools, Ohio
Phone: (614) 365-5886
Email: [email protected]
Contact Information
Beth Snyder, Early Childhood Specialist
Anchorage Public Schools, Alaska
Phone: 907.342.3835
Email: [email protected]
Su Theriault, Director of Training & Technical Assistance
Horizons for Homeless Children, Boston, MA
Phone: 617.445.1480
Email: [email protected]
Grace Whitney, Director
Connecticut Head Start Collaboration Office
Phone: 860.424.5066
Email: [email protected]