Project Description:
Children under the age of five represent one of the largest age groups in the homeless population. Research shows conclusively that physical, mental, and emotional development during this time period is crucial to an individual?s life, impacting all areas of functioning. This project will present research on the effects of homelessness on a child?s development, to include the potential impact on future development. The primary goal of this project is to inform and educate the audience on a particular group of young children and their families, bringing attention to a social issue that affects all communities nationwide. Secondary to education, further goals of this project are raising awareness of professionals who work with young children to be better prepared to address the needs of a homeless child and their family.
After LEND, this project will be utilized by Bright Beginnings, Inc. (BBI), a child development center for homeless children in Washington DC, to provide information to potential donors, particularly those interested in supporting social/emotional health programming, disability and mental health services for BBI children and families. The objective is to focus donor?s attention on the need to support programming that addresses the effects of homelessness on children and works to promote healthy development. The project will also be used for training of volunteers at BBI, professionals that work with young children and the community at large with the primary goal remaining to bring awareness of these issues. For BBI, the expected benefits include increased funding, volunteer participation in the program, and outside professionals with greater cultural competency in working with homeless children and their families.
The project will include discussion of poverty, lack of access to resources, substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health and other factors that can lead to a family being homeless. The project will discuss how each of these issues can have their own impact on a young child?s development, particularly in conjunction with homelessness. Information will include research, local and national statistics, and qualitative examples of young homeless children to fully demonstrate the presenting issues to the audience. As the Early Head Start Social Worker at Bright Beginnings, Inc. I have the unique opportunity of being able to provide real-life stories of children and families I have worked with to better engage the audience and illustrate the impact of homelessness. This project is particularly timely, given the economy and increased numbers of families experiencing homelessness both locally and nationally.
Target Audience:
Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Professionals and Para-Professionals, General Public
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Disadvantaged Circumstances, Other
