understanding the critical link between homeless service providers and the educational system
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Understanding the Critical Link between Homeless Service Providers
and the Educational SystemCloudburst Consulting Group – Landover, MD &Project Community Connections – Atlanta, GA
Session Objectives Understand new HEARTH requirements and
their impact on McKinney-Vento Ed programs and practitioners
Understand the barriers and facilitative factors in accessing preschool for families in homelessness and how homeless service providers and educators can help in addressing these issues
Explore strategies for helping to strengthen the connection between homeless services and LEAs in supporting early childhood education and enrollment
Self-Introductions – Session Presenters Chuck Kieffer, Director
Cloudburst Consulting GroupAnn Arbor, MI
Kate Hurd, AnalystCloudburst Consulting GroupAtlanta, GA
Margaret Schuelke, Executive DirectorProject Community Connections, Inc.Atlanta, GA
The HEARTH Act
HEARTH Act: Overview and History
May 2009HEARTH Act Amends and
reauthorizes the McKinney-Vento
Homelessness Assistance Act with several changes
Jan 2011HUD publishes “Notice on Limitation on Use of Funds to serve Persons Defined as Homeless Under Other Federal
Laws”
July 2012HUD publishes CoC
Program interim rule establishing the requirements for applying for and
administering funds and the regulatory
implementation of responsibilities
HEARTH Act: How It Impacts YouIt impacts you because HUD Homeless Assistance
Programs provide important services to help stabilize homeless children, youth, and families, thereby
contributing to educational success.
The final rule on the Definition of Homeless establishes four categories under which an individual or family may qualify as homeless.
1. Literally Homeless2. Imminent Risk of Homelessness.3. Homeless under other Federal Statutes4. Fleeing/Attempting to Flee DVhttp://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/changes-in-the-hud-definition-of-
homeless
HEARTH Act: How It Impacts You
The Continuum of Care (CoC)Applicant must demonstrate collaboration with education agencies.
The CoC must consider the educational needs of children and not disrupt children’s education.
Project applicants must demonstrate practices consistent with McKinney –Vento Act.
Applicants must designate staff to ensure children are enrolled in school and connected to services.
CoCs must involve schools in governance and responsibilities.
Statutory Requirements
How You Can Help Strengthen the Connection HUD grantees can:
Connect with state coordinator and education liaisons
Learn local and state education laws and services including Title I, special education and early childhood education in their LEAs
ED grantees can: Connect with CoC lead agency and providers Learn about the various housing resources offered in
your community (e.g. CoC, ESG, SC2, HOME, FUP, PHAs)
Engage with HUD to assist with your plan to collaborate with federal housing programs
How You Can Help Strengthen the Connection
Coordinated Assessments
Point in Time (PIT) count and
cumulative annual counts
Data sharing/ disclosure initiatives
Developing education
assurances policy and procedures
In Service trainings
Understand the Barriers to Connecting Housing and Education Positive outcomes require that we are all
partners in child and youth services.
Housing Stability
Education
New Opportunities Linked to Interim ESG & CoC RulesNew ESG & CoC rules
strengthen role of CoC in shaping local public sector allocations
and decision-making
New CoC rules
strengthen role of CoC
membership in defining structure,
governance, and decision-
making
Increased opportunity to influence the investment of
homeless funding and to
shape homeless programming so that children’s
educational interests and
concerns might be better addressed through
exploitation of these new rules
and tools
Homeless Families, Preschool Enrollment, and Housing
Summary Overview of a Project in Process: HUD/PDR-funded Research Study
Background Small Grants Linked to Large Scale National Study of
Family Housing Options (funded by HUD Office of PDR) National random selection study on The Impact of Housing and
Services Interventions on Homeless Families (over 2,400 households)
Small grants intended to explore related issues impacting children and families
Impetus for Research Question Children comprise major portion of persons in homeless
households -- and more than half are pre-school age or younger Fewer than 16% of eligible pre-school aged children are enrolled Little evidence that national policies have helped address the
barriers that homeless families face in enrolling children in early education programs
Background Significance of Approach
Little prior examination of the specific issues and challenges that must be addressed to support increased participation of children from homeless or recently homeless families in preschool opportunities
Qualitative approach helps get “inside” the experience of homeless families who are pursuing preschool needs
Findings will be broadly disseminated to key community and systems leaders to help advance policy and practice that more effectively promotes both preschool participation and housing stability
How do homeless families experience preschool enrollment, and what interrelated effects do various barriers, supports, and systemic structures have on the pathways linking housing stability and preschool enrollment?
Research Objective
Research Design
•Households enrolled in the national Family Options study•2 sites (Georgia & Connecticut)•All households with preschool aged children at the time of study are eligible
Sample
•Round 1 – Mailings to eligible participants•Round 2 – Follow up phone calls, email and mailings•Provision of small “stipend” (gift cards) and child care support (where needed)
Recruitment
Data Collection & Analysis
•Round 1: Focus groups and individual in-depth interviews•Round 2: Individual in-depth interviews based on Round 1 data•Analysis of Baseline Data from Family Options Study•Environmental Scan
Procedures
•Semi-structured focus group and interview guides•Open ended discussion framework
Data Develop
ment
Overview of Research ProcessLiterature Review,
Study Design & Environmental
Scan
Data Collection: Round 1
Initial Data Analysis: Round 1
Data Collection: Round 2
Full Data Analysis
Dissemination
Round 1 Insights: Emerging Themes
Multiple situational barriers to preschool
access
High level of parental
awareness of and commitment to
the importance of preschool options
(vs. child care)
Homeless service system
insufficient in supporting families in accessing preschool
opportunities
Preschool system falls
short in outreach and in helping parents
in navigating the system
Emerging Themes: Situational Barriers Transportation & Scheduling
Parents’ work schedules vs. children’s school schedules Need for full-day care
Absence of access to transportation Location of housing & employment vs. siting of preschool options
Slots & Supports Few slots available Shortage of tuition subsidies Poor access to information on available slots Poor access to information on tuition supports
Other Situational Concerns Parental focus on search for housing & reality of housing instability Parental focus on search for employment & reality of need for jobs
Emerging Themes: Parental Commitment
High level of parental investment in access to preschool (vs. child care) High level of recognition of value of early
childhood education Clear capacity to distinguish between early
learning and child care
High level of parental investment in “quality” educational experience High level of parental recognition of
characteristics of quality care
Emerging Themes: Homeless Service System Supports Homeless Service Providers frequently fail to
provide needed supports to parents and families Lack of attention to children’s needs Lack of knowledge of preschool & child care
systems, or related systems for financial support Lack of commitment to providing parental
supports Lack of investment in engaging with broader early
childhood system – including McKinney-Vento Liasons
Lack of support in helping homeless parents bridge the gaps exacerbated by housing instability
Emerging Themes: Preschool Systems Outreach Preschool system falls short in providing
active outreach and supports for homeless households Poor outreach to homeless subpopulations Apparent lack of commitment to addressing
challenges faced by homeless households
DeKalb Kids Home Collaborative
Overview of Kids Home Collaborative
Key elements of initiative (See http://www.pccihome.org/)
Strategies for building partnerships
Key themes in strengthening connections between schools and the homeless provider system
Group Discussion
Group Discussion
Experiences working with
homeless services and early childhood
providers
Challenges for practice and policy
Lessons learned in
working with homeless
households
Contact Information Cloudburst Consulting Group
Chuck Kiefferchuck.kieffer@cloudburstgroup.com734-645-0810
Kate Hurdkate.hurd@cloudburstgroup.com678-812-0284
Project Community Connections, Inc. Margaret Schuelke
margaretschuelke@pccihome.org404-371-1230 ext 213
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