Social determinants of health (SDOH)--conditions in which children live, learn, and play--affect child health and well-being. Publicly funded services in education and child welfare systems are important resources to support child well-being, but cross-system coordination is rare. Leveraging integrated administrative data from 60,287 6th graders…

It is widely reported that children who are homeless are victimized by overwhelming challenges like poverty and ill-advised policy decisions, such as underfunding the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This act is the only federal legislation devoted to this marginalized group. Children who are homeless, however, should not be characterized…

To explore sexually exploited youths' perspectives of how street outreach workers can effectively provide outreach and connections to services, we conducted qualitative interviews with 13 female participants, ages 14 to 22, in a Midwest U.S. city. Participants reported multiple types of exploitation, most first exploited by age 13, plus substance…

This investigation tested the importance of early academic achievement for later achievement trajectories among 18,011 students grouped by level of socioeconomic risk. Students considered to be at highest risk were those who experienced homelessness or high residential mobility (HHM). HHM students were compared with students eligible for free…

Analyses examined academic achievement data across third through eighth grades ("N" = 26,474), comparing students identified as homeless or highly mobile (HHM) with other students in the federal free meal program (FM), reduced price meals (RM), or neither (General). Achievement was lower as a function of rising risk status (General…

The physical, social, and economic health and well-being of adults and society are strongly influenced by experiences in early childhood. The most cost-efficient time to build foundational skills, to assure the healthy development of all young children, to break the cycle of disadvantage for vulnerable children, and to prevent achievement and…

Objective: This qualitative study explored low-income children's food-related attitudes and behaviors, and current weight status. Design: Two researchers conducted 14 audiotaped, 60-minute focus groups. Height and weight were measured. Setting: Libraries, homeless shelters, and a community center. Participants: Ninety-two low-income children aged…

This report and its companion, volume II, provide a snapshot of people experiencing homelessness in Minnesota. The information is intended as a resource for planners, policymakers, service providers, and others addressing the problems associated with homelessness. Findings are based on interviews with 638 men and 685 women in shelters,…

This report and its companion, volume I, provide a snapshot of people experiencing homelessness in Minnesota. The information in this volume, which focuses on unaccompanied youth, is intended as a resource for planners, policymakers, service providers, and others addressing the problems associated with homelessness. On October 27, 1994, trained…

These hearings transcripts compile testimony regarding how programs authorized by the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act and the Missing Children's Assistance Act currently operate, in preparation for upcoming reauthorization. Opening statements by U.S. Representatives Peter Hoekstra (Michigan) and Ruben Hinojosa (Texas) underscore the obligation to…