Each year in the United States, 1.5 million children experience homelessness and roughly 50,000 of these children are enrolled in publicly-funded Head Start and Early Head Start child care programs. Head Start programs were created over 50 years ago to end poverty by aiming the solution at young children. Through a comprehensive early childhood experience for low-income children, these agencies aim to get them ready for a successful experience in elementary school and life. However, despite the fact that thousands of Head Start children are homeless, these daycare centers are not equipped to find their families permanent housing.
Recognizing this disconnect, the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare (NCHCW) stepped into this void with a groundbreaking initiative "Head Start on Housing." Collaborating with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, the Connecticut Department of Housing, and the Head Start Association, NCHCW sought to create and expand priority access to Housing Choice Vouchers for Head Start agencies The success of this cross-agency collaboration lies in NCHCW’s ability to broker and leverage resources and establish crucial relationships with committed state leaders.
These leaders, including the Governor, immediately understood the opportunity to capitalize on the industriousness of these parents who overcome daily obstacles of poverty to get their children into the voluntary Head Start programs. State leaders moved swiftly to provide these families with permanent housing vouchers and the families responded in kind by creating a healthy environment for their children and maintaining gainful employment.
“Housing stability is one of the most important factors in a child's growth and development, and by scaling up this program with federal housing vouchers nationwide, we can homelessness for young families before it starts," says White.
With increased funding and support, NCHCW will expand the Head Start on Housing initiative to children in the kindergarten through high school population, and replicate the model across the nation.
Ruth White, the Executive Director of NCHCW, emphasizes the proactive nature of their approach. "The Head Start on Housing initiative addresses issues head-on in order to give America's children the stability they need to have a head start on education as well." This sentiment is based on research and reflects a broader understanding that addressing homelessness requires a multifaceted early intervention approach.
Through relentless advocacy and deep knowledge of housing resources and the limits and capacities of state bureaucracy, NCHCW successfully secured housing vouchers for families and ushered in a statewide expansion of the program.
The Head Start on Housing initiative is not merely addressing homelessness; it is challenging the very foundations of the current system. It calls for a comprehensive approach that looks at education and housing as part of a child's growth and their family's economic success.
It's a call to break stereotypes and help people who are trying to get back on their feet. It's about creating a society where everyone can succeed. As we look into the bigger picture of homelessness in the US, the need for change is growing. With further support and funding, the NCHCW can expand the Head Start on Housing initiative and give America a head start in the right direction to end homelessness.
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