Main description:

Homelessness among families with children in the U.S. is rising rapidly due to the economic downturn. Supporting Homeless Families: Current Practices and Future Directions aims to raise the standard of services provided to families without homes through practices that are strengths-based and culturally competent. This book provides a contextual overview of family homelessness. An ecological and developmental framework for understanding the implications of homelessness from infancy through adulthood are presented with reference to existing research. The book also addresses innovative designs for providing collaboration between and among diverse services that interface with families experiencing homelessness. In doing so, the importance of providing families with culturally competent services that support them during episodes of homelessness as well as the period of re-housing are addressed. Examples of empirically proven interventions and best practices are showcased, and roadblocks to success and sustainability are discussed.

Contents:

I. Needs of Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness.- The Why and the Who of Family Homelessness.- The Developmental Trajectories of Infants and Young Children Experiencing Homelessness.- Trauma Exposures and Mental Health Outcomes among Sheltered Children and Youth ages 6-18.- Parenting in the Face of Homelessness.- Needs of Special Populations without Homes.- II. Frameworks for Service Delivery and Intervention for Families.- Collaborations Across and Within Systems that Provide Services to Families without Homes.- Trauma Informed Practices in Shelters and Other Programs Serving Families Experiencing Homelessness.- Cultural Competence and Individualized Care in Service Provision.- III. Evidence Based and Promising Approaches to Service Provision and Intervention.- Research on Programs Designed to Support Positive Parenting.- Programs for homeless children and youth: A critical review of evidence.- Primary Stakeholders' Perspectives on Services for Families without Homes .