7/17/2014

Around the country, Head Start and Early Head Start programs are building partnerships in their communities in order to make their services more accessible for children experiencing homelessness.

ACF just released Building Partnerships to Address Family Homelessness, a resource paper that highlights efforts by local Head Start and Early Head Start programs to connect with public housing associations, emergency shelter providers, local education agencies, and other community service providers. It also provides recommendations and resources to facilitate collaborations in other communities.

Children experiencing homelessness are disproportionally at-risk for a host of negative developmental and educational outcomes. They also face many barriers to accessing early care and learning programs that could provide foundational supports to overcome the negative impacts of homelessness.  The partnerships highlighted are vital to help children experiencing homelessness connect with high quality early care and learning opportunities, as well as to help Head Start and Early Head Start families connect with other services. Head Start and Early Head Start program staff, housing providers, and state and local leaders can learn from these practices to develop mutually beneficial partnerships that expand access to services for families experiencing homelessness.

Source: Administration for Children and Families

Available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ecd/news/building-partnerships-to-address-family-homelessness