Understanding the Critical Link between Homeless Service Providers and the Educational System

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 [email protected]

Kate [email protected]

Project Community Connections, Inc. Margaret Schuelke

[email protected] ext 213