Staci Perlman

Promoting Positive Parenting in the Context of Homelessness

Recent national reports suggest that nearly 1,000,000 families with children experience homelessness and that this number is rising (National Center on Family Homelessness, 2009; U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2010; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2011). Families experiencing homelessness are disproportionately more likely to have experienced economic, health, and social risk factors. These experiences can adversely influence the parent-child relationship. The purpose of this article is to (a) review the literature on the determinants and contextual issues of parenting in shelters; (b) describe specific programs that are focused on positive parenting in the context of homelessness; and (c) provide practice, research, and policy recommendations for supporting positive parenting among families living without homes.

Youth Homelessness: Prevalence and Mental Health Correlates

National data suggest the rate of youth homelessness has been increasing over the last several years. However, estimates of the true prevalence of youth homelessness vary greatly based on counting method and definitions of homelessness. The purpose of the present study is to demonstrate how the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) could be used to understand the prevalence of youth homelessness, characteristics of homeless experiences, and how these experiences relate to mental health problems among youth. Findings demonstrate the number of youth identified as homeless by the YRBS are considerably higher than the number identified by traditional counting methods. Furthermore, youth experiencing homelessness reported disproportionately higher rates of mental health problems than their housed peers. Implications for practice, policy and future research are discussed.

Predicting Risk of Placement: A Population-based Study of Out-of-Home Placement, Child Maltreatment, and Emergency Housing

Guided by a developmental epidemiology framework, this study examines the extent to which first experiences of child maltreatment and use of emergency housing are predictive of out-of-home placement in early childhood. The study sample is a population of 12,045 second-grade students in a large, urban school district. Information on birth, maternal, and social risk factors was obtained and linked through an integrated data system. Life table analyses were used to develop a descriptive picture of the timing of first out-of-home placement experience. Findings demonstrate that children are most likely to experience a first out-of-home placement during their first year of life. Cox regression analyses are used to examine the extent to which variables for risk factors (specifically child maltreatment and use of emergency housing) predict the first out-of-home placement experience while controlling for demographics, birth risks, and maternal risks. Results demonstrate that children with histories of child maltreatment or emergency housing use are more likely than peers without such histories to be placed in out-of-home care. Further, children with histories of both child maltreatment and emergency housing use are less likely to be placed in out-of-home care than children who have experienced either child maltreatment or emergency housing use (but not both). Findings point to the importance of interagency collaboration and a focus on young children for addressing the needs of vulnerable young children and their families.

Supporting families experiencing homelessness

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