NCJ Number
117180
Date Published
1988
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This preliminary study examines the plight of homeless children, focusing on how they and their families became homeless and how homelessness has influenced their lives.
Abstract
The study reports on 163 homeless families with 340 children, over half of whom had only one parent seeking help from Travelers Aid. The average homeless family in the study had two children, a female parent of 29 and a male parent of 34. Half of the female parents and 47 percent of the male parents were members of racial or ethnic minority groups. The study found that while many homeless parents had been employed, neither employment nor the existence of a social support structure ensures that a family can maintain its own residence. Many were unable to earn enough money to pay for housing themselves, unemployed spouses, and children. Ability to pay for housing was the major reason many families became homeless. Homeless children in the study often needed medical attention. Some appeared abused or neglected, and older children were often not attending school. Many homeless families leave their children elsewhere while seeking work, thus exposing the children to unstable home life and unsupervised care. The study proposes short-term, long-term, and interim solutions to family homelessness. 9 references.