Caring Conversations About McKinney-Vento Eligibility
Learn how to use a caring conversations approach with families to gather information about their living circumstances and determine McKinney-Vento eligibility for Head Start programs.
Homelessness
Each year, more than 1 million young children experience homelessness in the United States. These children are automatically eligible for Head Start services. Homelessness is a circumstance families may experience when they are faced with such challenges as extreme poverty and lack of affordable housing. It can also occur when a family's current living situation becomes unsafe or unstable.
Homelessness is a state of vulnerability for children and families. It can expose them to physical, mental, and developmental risks. This resource collection features materials to help Head Start programs provide needed support to children and families experiencing homelessness.
Explore relevant eligibility, recruitment, selection, enrollment, and attendance (ERSEA) strategies and resources for supporting families in your program.
FAQs About Serving Families Experiencing Homelessness
Explore the Office of Head Start's answers to common questions about serving families experiencing homelessness.
Reflection and Planning Tool for Partnering with Families Experiencing Homelessness
Use this tool to reflect on your program’s relationship-building practices and plan for next steps in supporting families experiencing homelessness.
Supporting Professionals Who Support Families: The Parallel Process
Consider how you might enhance what you already do to partner with families experiencing homelessness. Use this tool to reflect on your program’s relationship-building practices and plan for the next steps in supporting families experiencing homelessness.
Decision-making Tool to Determine a Family’s Homelessness Situation
Use this tool to determine a child and family's situation or status using the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act’s definition of “homeless children and youth.”
Connecting with Partners Planning Worksheet
Working with local partners is a key strategy for identifying and reaching out to families experiencing homelessness.
Enrolling Children and Young Families Experiencing Homelessness in Early Head Start
Learn about the Maternity Group Homes (MGH) program. Discover how one MGH and Early Head Start program are working together to meet the needs of pregnant and parenting youth who are experiencing homelessness.
Establishing and Sustaining Community Partnerships for Outreach and Continuity
Hear how programs can partner with community agencies to help families who face homelessness. Learn how this effort can help programs reach children and families who are in need of services.
Supporting Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness
Enhance your knowledge around family homelessness and discover the importance of the McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance Act's definition of homelessness as it refers to children and youth.
Supporting Families Experiencing Homelessness Webinar Series
Watch this three-part webinar series features exemplary practices from Head Start programs and collaboration directors.