young children & homelessness convening october 10, 2013

Young Children & Homelessness Convening

October 10, 2013

Welcome

Lynn HaglinVice President, Northland Foundation

Monica Idzelis RotheResearch Scientist, Wilder Research

Overview of Family Homelessness in Minnesota

Michelle Decker Gerrard Research Manager, Wilder Research

WilderResearch

Overview of family homelessness in Minnesota from the 2012 survey

Prepared for Start Early Funders CoalitionOctober 10, 2013

Presented by Michelle Decker Gerrard and Monica Idzelis Rothe

Point in time survey, every 3 years

Trained volunteer interviewers

On October 25, 2012:

Interviews in >250 shelters and programs

Outreach locations in >50 cities, towns, and outlying areas

About the statewide study

wilderresearch.org

One-night study counts

3,079

4,553

5,645

7,6967,854 7,751

9,65410,214

8891,791

2,2943,178 2,862 2,726

3,251 3,546

1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009 2012

Total count

Children with parents

wilderresearch.org

Increase in numbers mainly accounted for by

– Children with their parents (up 9%)

– Older adults (age 55+)

22% increase in 2-parent families

Emergency shelter use up by 27%

What is new?

wilderresearch.org

Long-term health issues

Inability to afford housing

Racial disparities

Traumatic experiences in childhood

Violence and exploitation

Transition years (15-21) are time of greatest risk

What does not change?

wilderresearch.org

Children with their parents35%

Unaccompanied minors age 12-171%

Unaccompanied young adults age 18-2110%

Adult males age 22 or older

29%

Adult females age 22 or older

25%

Age groups

51%36%

13%Age 0-5

Age 6-12

Age 13-17

Ages of children with their parents

Children and families

Where homeless children were counted

wilderresearch.org

Battered women11%

Emergency shelter24%

Transitional housing

55%

Not in shelter

11%

On a single night, 1,747 families were counted with 3,546 children

Besides children who are homeless with their parents, at least another 2,000 are affected by a parent’s homelessness but are not with them

Children and families: counts

wilderresearch.org

72% of children are with their mom; 4% are with their dad; and 24% are with both

29% of youth (age 21 and under) are parents (for female youth 39%); 21% have their children with them

Median age for homeless parents is 29

Children and families: demographics

wilderresearch.org

Adults (18+)

Homeless parents MN

9% 1% American Indian

2% 3% Asian American

50% 5% Black

30% 86% White (non-Hispanic)

9% 3% Other, including multi-racial

8% 4% Hispanic (any race)

Parents: racial disparities

wilderresearch.org

92% of parents had been homeless at least a month

9% had spent at least one night outside/car etc. in the past 30 days

25% had spent at least one night doubled-up

31% of parents first experienced homelessness as a child

Parents: homelessness history

wilderresearch.org

52% of parents have serious mental health problems

48% have chronic physical health problems

9% have chemical dependency issues

Parents: health problems

wilderresearch.org

72% had lived in MN for more than 2 years

55% are on waiting list for Section 8 or subsidized housing

33% are employed; 11% full-time (35 or more hours/week)

93% receive food stamps/SNAP, 47% WIC, and 27% child care assistance

47% were physically or sexually abused as a child or youth

Parents: other characteristics

wilderresearch.org

Percent of parents who could not get needed care for their children in the past year:

Dental care (10%)

Physical health care (6%)

Mental health care (5%)

Health care needs of children with parents

wilderresearch.org

Percent of parents who report at least one child with a chronic or severe problem:

Emotional or behavioral (26%)

Physical health problem (15%)

Other health related needs

wilderresearch.org

Percent of parents who report:

Children skipped a meal in the past month because there was not money to buy food (11%)

Unable to get regular child care when needed in the past year (34%)

Other needs of children

wilderresearch.org

7 in 10 families had young children with them (ages 0-5)

Of those with young children (age 0-5):

42% have a child who is enrolled in Head Start or an early childhood program; 15% of these report that their children have difficulty attending because of their housing situation

Young children (age 0-5)

wilderresearch.org

Monthly median income of homeless adults

– Metro $381

– Greater MN $403

Fair market rent for a one bedroom apartment

– Metro $745

– Greater MN $531

Housing affordability gap

Some improvement among groups targeted for solutions

– Single long-term homeless adults

– Veterans

Children are able to get to and stay in school

Newly allocated money in Minnesota for housing

Solutions address systems, not just individuals

What gives us hope?

wilderresearch.org

Special reports on youth, American Indian reservation homelessness, and veterans

Seeking funding for a special report on homeless families

Next steps

WilderResearch

To learn more about homelessness in Minnesota go to www.wilderresearch.org

Dr. Ann Masten, Ph.D.Professor of Child Psychology

University of Minnesota

Keynote Address: Resilience and Homeless Children

Risk and Resilience in Homelessand Highly Mobile Children

Early Childhood as a Window of Opportunity

Ann S. MastenUniversity of Minnesota

October 10, 2013Start Early Convening on Young Children and Homelessness

A translational research story

• Beginning

• Collaborating

• Evolving

• Intervening

RESILIENCE

Capacity of a system

to adapt successfully

to significant disturbances

that threaten its adaptive function, viability, or development

The beginning…1980s - awareness

1988 - invitation

1989 - first study

1990s - series of small collaborative studies

Art by Donna Miliotis

Homeless compared to housed but similar families

• More recent stressful life events• Children had more fears (deprivation)• More school changes and disrupted lives• Similar but more extreme levels of risk• Parents expressed more distress• Child problems relate to parent distress, risk

Masten et al 1993

Variation in cumulative risk

Risk Factors

Low education

Single parent

Parent died

Parents divorced

Foster care

Maltreatment

Saw violence

See Masten & Sesma 1999CURA Reporter

Conclusions from early work

• Homelessness indicates high cumulative risk

• High risk for health, school, behavior problems

• Homeless similar to other disadvantaged families but higher on a risk continuum

• Variation in risk and function among homeless children

• Resilience related to parenting, cognitive skills

Fast forward to recent research

• New concerns• New opportunities• Translational goals• Fully collaborative

In 2010/2011 over one million American school children

were identified as homeless by Federal guidelines

THE BIG PICTUREAnalyzing administrative data

General

- Norm, & …RPM

Free mealsHHM

Rea

din

g s

core

46%

12%

75%

21%

Reading scores 2005 to 200926,501 students

Cutuli et al 2013Child Development84, 841-857

HHM student individual reading scores

National avg

Homeless avg

Rea

din

g s

core

MATH 26,474 students

General

Norm & RPM

Free meals

HHM

Mat

h s

core

18th percentile avg score

12th

76th

79th

Additional findings

• 45% of HHM show academic resilience– Scoring in the normal range or higher all tests

• Slow down in growth related to HHM status– Comparing year following HHM with other years– Growth rate in math (but not reading) slows– Consistent with acute disturbance as well as

chronic risk

What makes a difference?

• Attendance

• Minority status

• English language learner

• Earlier achievement

First grade reading skills

• Shows a similar risk gradient

• Predicts later achievement and growth in math and reading

• Shows protective effects for high-risk students (interactions) on free lunch or homeless

Herbers et al 2012 Educational Researcher, 41, 366-374

High

Low

Administrative data limitations

• Schools cannot collect data on key protective influences due to time burden and cost

A CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Potentially malleable protective factors

Important…malleable…interrelated

• Child executive function (EF) skills• Parenting• Stress

Executive Function Neurocognitive processes involved in goal-

directed control of attention, thought, actions (cognitive control) Working memory Cognitive flexibility Inhibitory control

Needed to succeed in school pay attention…control emotions… wait turn…

follow instructions…listen to teacher…plan…

switch from one activity to another

Why EF?• Long implicated in

resilience

• Important for learning

• Affected by “toxic stress”

• Related to good parenting

• Related to competence over time

• Develops rapidly in preschoolers

• Promising malleability

graph courtesy of Stephanie Carlson

Neural effects of training See Espinet et al. 2013 graph courtesy of Philip David Zelazo

Sample of findings• Executive function task performance

– Predicts “child on task” observations– Predicts school success over & above IQ– Related to good parenting– Mediates relation of parenting to school outcomes

• ACEs much higher than State averages

• Cortisol (a stress hormone; salivary)– Related to worse child executive function (EF)

• Parenting– Correlate and protective factor for achievement– Related to parent EF as well child EF skills

• Asthma – High rates (28%)– Related to academic and behavior problems

Resilient children have better executive function skills

Obradović 2010Masten et al 2012

Resilient

Parenting Quality Moderates Risk

1 2 3 4 52

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4

higher quality parentinglower quality parenting

Cumulative Risk

Acad

emic

Fun

ction

ing

Herbers et al., 2011

Children cannot wait

Interventions to consider• Reduce risk and stress

– Prevent homeless episodes– Stabilize housing and schooling– Reduce hunger and food insecurity

• Increase resources– Access to quality programs, housing, health care– High quality education (starting early)– Tutoring and summer programs

• Promote protective processes– Effective parenting– Executive function skills– Teacher-child relationships See Masten 2011

PROMOTING SCHOOL SUCCESSTargeting executive function

Ready? Set. Go!

Boosting readiness for Kindergarten

in homeless children living in emergency shelter– Focused on executive function skills– Strategically timed – Implemented August 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013– Inspired a new IES-funded research project

IES projectPIs = Masten + Carlson + Zelazo

• Promoting EF in preschool• Developing components collaboratively

Curriculum + Parent education + individual child training

• Community Advisory Board• Design team

– Teachers & researchers– Pooled expertise

• EF• Teaching preschoolers• Teacher training• Preventive intervention• Risk and resilience• Context

IES Developmental Project

• Iterative process– Design – try – refine – try again - repeat– One component to isolate effects– All components to evaluate promise

• Leading to – Pilot study– Randomized efficacy trial– Effectiveness trial

• HHM is a window on risks, barriers, safety gaps

• Mobile children key for closing achievement gaps

• Executive function skills central to school success

• Promoting resilience is possible

Observations from recent HHM studies

Windows of Early Opportunity

• Preventing stress

• Protecting brain development

• Promoting tools for learning

• Supporting parents

• Minnesotans who opened their lives to inform and help others

• Collaborators in community and university – and especially to – People Serving People; The Family Partnership; Mary’s Place; St. Anne’s Place– Minneapolis and Saint Paul Public Schools– Professors Stephanie Carlson, Abi Gewirtz, Megan Gunnar, Jeff Long, Philip David Zelazo– Many graduate and undergraduate students

• Funders who supported the research discussed in this talk– Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA)– Center for Personalized Prevention Research (NIMH supported)– Irving B. Harris Professorship; McKnight University Professorships– Institute of Education Sciences– National Science Foundation (NSF)– National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)– Sauer Children’s Renew Foundation

• All of you for listening!

Thank you!

Expert Panel

Denise Mayotte- Panel ModeratorExecutive Director, The Shelter Arms Foundation

Angela KimballEducation Services Manager, People Serving People

Nancy CashmanSupporting Housing Director, Center City Housing- Duluth

Ryan StrackEarly Learning System Coordinator, School District 622 (North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale)

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAM

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The People Serving People Early Childhood Development Program is licensed by the state of Minnesota’s Department of Human Services and a Parent Aware 4 Star rated program. Our center serves up to 52 children per day in the following age groups:

-Infants: Ages 6 weeks – 15 months

-Toddlers: Ages 16 months – 2 years

-Preschool Prep: Ages 2 ½ years – 3 ½ years

-Preschool: Ages 3 years – 5 years

Program hours are Monday thru Friday 8:30am – 4:30 PM

CURRICULUM

*Teacher created curriculums to meet the unique challenges of our setting.

*Average stay is 37 days

*New kids always coming and kids always moving out

*Children have varied backgrounds and previous experiences

*Children exhibit unique challenges due to living with high levels of stress.

*Kids Resiliency Education (KRE), Creative Curriculum, and Building Language for Literacy were used as resources.

Primary focus is to provide a calming and secure environment with consistent routines where children feel safe and are able to thrive and learn.

Daily schedules include typical preschool activities, self-directed learning (free play), large and small group lessons, large motor, snacks/lunch, and rest time.

The primary goal is to provide a learning environment where the children can be successful.

Skill focuses center around social/emotional development and include yoga, deep breathing exercises, emotion recognition activities, and movement/music; and Executive Function activities such as Bear/Dragon, BLINK, I Spy and freeze dancing.

CURRICULUM CONTINUED

ASSESSMENT

The Creative Curriculum Gold Assessment tool is used for all 4 classrooms to track children’s growth

We see about 25% growth in children’s scores throughout their stay.

Assessments are done frequently, every 1-2 weeks, to track progress and account for the limited time we have with the children.

PARTNERSHIPS

People Serving People partners with various organizations to support families while they are in shelter, as well as connect them to community resources.

* University of Minnesota Institute of Child Development

*Minneapolis Public Schools

-Preschool Screening and Early Intervention

* St. David's Center for Children

*Metro State

*St. Kate’s nursing students

*MacPhail Center for Music

* Minneapolis Crisis Nursery

How can we assure our impact is sustained?

We believe that parents are their children’s #1 influence and primary educator.

We have a Parent Engagement coordinator who is licensed in Parent Education working closely with the Early Childhood Teaches to support parents. Both individual sessions and parenting groups are offered.

Scholarships to high quality early childhood programming after their stay at PSP

EXTENDING OUR IMPACT

ENDING THE CYCLE

Our ultimate goal is to permanently end a family’s homelessness with one visit to our shelter, and end the cycle of homelessness for the children.

Low Income Housing Developer

Owner manager supportive service provider

Currently owns 421 Units

Expanded State wide in 2009

Serves most difficult to house

Homeless Family supportive housing

Chronic alcoholic homeless

Partner based programming

Center City Housing Corp

Supportive Housing For Homeless Families with children

Currently manage 32 units21 transitional housing11 permanent supportive housing

44 new units beginning construction

Social/emotional/developmental delaysHighly mobile and episodes of homelessnessLacking positive parenting skills and knowledgeWorld of violence and chaos

The Homeless Experience

The Housing Experience

• TOTS Programming• Addresses needs• Develop individual plan for each child• Referrals to other providers• Parenting skills at parents current level of understanding• Addresses attachment issues

Success: 3 plus years of housing stability

the story of Anilah and Nevaeh

Start Early Funders Coalition Presentation

October 10, 2013Wilder Foundation

Ryan Strack, School District 622

Overview of School District 622

• Serve 11,000 school-age students• East metro inner-ring suburbs• According to census, about 3500 children

birth to kindergarten age• 213 K-12 students experiencing

homelessness (SY 12-13)• 68 B-5 children experiencing homelessness

(SY 12-13)• 50% of students on free or reduced meals

Outreach and Intentionality Matters

• B-5 children experiencing homelessness identified pre- and post- program implementation

2011-12

2012-13

24 68

McKinney-Vento Act (Education) Overview

• First authored in 1987, President Reagan• Re-authorized in 2001 under Title X, Part C of No Child

Left Behind• Applies narrowly to early childhood • Establishes educational rights for children and youth

experiencing homelessness (FAPE)• Named for former St. Paul Congressman

Program Overview

• Primary goal is to connect more kids and their families to services in order to increase protective factors and become more prepared for kindergarten

• Work through four main components• Outreach and awareness building• Enrollment in programs and services• Stability/consistency• Education

Outreach and Awareness Building

• To shelters and housing programs• Service provider locations (food shelves, etc.)• Community groups (CoC, FHPAP)

Program Enrollment

• Pays fees for programs (preschool and parent education)

• Provides assistance with applications and paperwork

• Makes connections with programs

Stability/Consistency• Children in consistent programming and

services• Transportation provided when possible • Consistent navigator

• Follow-up and follow-through

Education • About the education system• About efficacy and importance of early

childhood programs and services • For families and educators and homeless

services providers

Snapshot of Services Provided

Program Number Type of Access Provided by District 622

Stepping Stones Preschool 5 5 Enrollment 2 Transport 5 Tuition

Early Childhood Screening 9 9 Appointment 1 Transport

Pre-Kindergarten 3 3 Enrollment 3 Transport 3 Tuition

Head Start 19 17 Application 2 Enrollment 1 Transport

Close to My Heart Preschool 2 2 Enrollment 2 Transport 2 Tuition

ECFE 4 4 Enrollment 4 Transport 4 Tuition

School Readiness summer class 2 2 Enrollment 2 Transport 2 Tuition

Safety Town 1 1 Enrollment 1 Transport 1 Tuition

ECSE 7

Totals 52 43 17 18

Program Logistics

• Federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance grant administered by the MN Department of Education

• Share two-day per week Outreach Worker with another program in the district

Successes• Number served who would not otherwise have

had access• Stories and gratitude from families • Demand for services

Challenges • Multiple counties • Working across different systems

• Homeless service providers• Education

Contact Information

Ryan Strack, Early Learning System Coordinator Email: rstrack@isd622.org Phone: 651-748-7696Twitter: @ryan_strack School District Website: www.isd622.org

Discussion

Developing Policies

Sharon Henry-BlytheDirector, Visible Child Initiative at the Family Housing Fund

Cathy ten BroekeState Director to Prevent and End Homelessness

The Visible Child InitiativeEnding homelessness by investing in the healthy development and academic success of children who have known homelessness

Sharon Henry-BlytheFamily Housing Fund

Visible Child Initiative

Start Early Young Children & Homelessness Convening, October 2013

Breaking the Cycle of Generational Homelessness

Visible Child Initiative Key Strategies

• Embed Evidence Based, Research Informed, Culturally Appropriate Practices

• Accountability

• Influence Public Policy

Visible Child Initiative Key StrategyEmbed Evidence Based, Research Informed, Culturally Appropriate Practices

– Visible Child Training Series– Conversations on Chemical Health– Culture Matters

• Providers asking for multi-session or full day session at a minimum.• Looking to answer how trauma can be generational and often

unknown to the parent.

“Visible Child monthly training series with the Conversations on Chemical Health has caused the case managers, who all have a degree in Social Work, to heighten their level of expertise in serving their families at Model Cities as whole.”

Quotes from Providers

Visible Child Initiative Key Strategy

Embed Evidence Based, Research Informed, Culturally Appropriate Practices (Continued)

– Children’s Mental Health Project– 90 Day Window for Children– Evidence Based Parent Education and Coaching – Trauma Informed Child Care/Early Childhood Services

“Trauma has been buried so deep.”

“It’s like something has been uncorked for our moms.”

Quotes from Providers

Visible Child Initiative Key Strategy

• AccountabilityThe Visible Child Initiative Will:– Increase the number of homeless and formerly homeless

children who receive developmental screening.– Increase homeless and formerly homeless children’s access to

needed mental health and early intervention services.– Increase homeless and formerly homeless young children’s

access to existing publically funded family and child focused services and programs.

Visible Child Initiative Key StrategyInfluence Public Policy2009 Legislative ActionOmnibus Education Finance Bill signed into law which included a key

provision that allows Head Start programs with “innovative initiatives” more flexibility – without penalty – to serve children and families who live in shelters, transitional housing, or permanent housing.

Visible Child Initiative Key StrategyInfluence Public Policy2012 Legislative Action Legislation passed creating Minnesota Visible Child Work Group to

identify and recommend issues that should be addressed in a statewide, comprehensive plan to improve the well-being of children who are homeless or have experienced homelessness.

Addressing Child Homelessness in Minnesota: Report of the Visible Child Work Group submitted to legislature December 2012

Visible Child Initiative Key Strategy

Influence Public Policy 2013 Legislative Action Agencies serving homeless children and their families will be represented on

local Interagency Early Intervention Committees (IEICs) across the state. Requiring IEICs to include representation from providers serving homeless families will help ensure that the developmental needs of homeless children are addressed.

Minnesota Department of Education will collect statistics on the number of homeless children who receive Part C services and will report the results annually to the legislature.

Visible Child Initiative Key Strategy

Influence Public Policy2014 Visible Child Advocacy Agenda

– Carry forward the recommendations of the Visible Child Work Group through the creation of a statewide plan to address the well-being of children who have experienced homelessness. The statewide plan will increase access to early childhood and related family support services by children and families who have experienced homelessness.

Kindergarten Readiness“A poll of kindergarten teachers found that they rate knowledge of letters and numbers as less important readiness skills than being physically healthy, able to communicate verbally, curious and enthusiastic, and able to take turns and share.”

The Future of Children-Princeton-Brookings:

School Readiness: Closing Racial and Ethnic Gaps

For More Information

Sharon Henry-BlytheFamily Housing FundDirector, Visible Child Initiative

612-375-9644, ext. 19sharon@fhfund.org

www.visiblechild.org

THE MINNESOTA INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS

Cathy ten Broeke

Minnesota’s Director to Prevent and End Homelessness

Why is this important for Minnesota?

Housing stability is a platform for better educational outcomes for our children, a stronger workforce both now and in the future, increased public safety, better health, reduced health care costs, and reduced disparities among populations.

Minnesota’s Interagency Council on Homelessness:

Corrections Education Employment and Economic Development Health Higher Education Housing Human Rights Human Services Public Safety Transportation Veterans Affairs Governor’s Office

Vision: Prevent and End Homelessness for All Minnesotans

What do we mean by “ending homelessness?”

“Ending Homelessness” means that we will prevent homelessness whenever possible and if a family or individual does become homeless we will have a crisis response system to assess their needs and provide them the opportunity to quickly access stable housing.

It does not mean that no one ever again will experience homelessness.

Levers for Change

• Increase investments in what we know works• Reduce barriers and increase access to mainstream resources• Improve effectiveness and targeting of existing resources• Improve our data, both quality and access, and use it to drive policy

• Reduce disparities through culturally responsible actions and approaches

Can we end homelessness?

Not a question of can we,

but will we.