Within the health care sector, researchers, clinicians, and payers increasingly recognize the importance of the social determinants of health for improving maternal and child health. This article focuses on existing and emerging approaches to screening families for unstable housing circumstances. The authors describe how housing stability…

This report pulls together recent research from the Centers for Disease Control, leading medical and public health journals, and firsthand observations by pediatricians across the country on the link between affordable housing and children's health and outcomes. Also included are the most recent data from the America Housing Survey, the U.S.…

In 1998, one decade after the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act was implemented and research results on the impacts of funding were becoming available, an evaluation of the effectiveness of fifteen programs, which included services such as emergency shelter, primary health care, and education, was needed This report presents 13 papers…

Findings from interviews of street children in Pretoria, South Africa, are presented, discussed, and compared with past research. Indicates the average age of South African street children is 13 years. Most are males of African origin; have been on the streets three years or longer; and cited family violence, parental alcoholism, abuse, and…

This report presents information on homeless children in the United States to gain the attention of policymakers and the media. Information comes from years of rigorous scientific research. The report presents both findings and solutions, including concrete steps to secure food, shelter, health care, and schooling to help homeless children and…

Through an Internet campaign, the Doc4Kids Project gathered stories from pediatric caregivers about children whose health has been compromised by poor housing and whose health has been improved by housing assistance. The medical literature was also reviewed to estimate the total impact of inadequate housing on child health in the United States.…

This report provides an Arizona perspective on the implications and effects of homelessness on children and youth, whether they live with their families or on their own. Statistics on homeless families are provided, and issues affecting homeless families are discussed. These issues involve shelters, child care, education, and health. Issues that…

The North Carolina Conference for Social Services invited North Carolina policymakers and service providers to participate in a working conference in January 1991. The conference addressed issues relating to homeless families in North Carolina. Goals of the conference were to: (1) increase the potential for collaboration on behalf of homeless…

Qualitative research using the symbolic interactionism framework and grounded theory methodology was employed to discover the perceived health problems and dangers that homeless families with children endure. Data were collected using semistructured interviews from 34 homeless volunteer participants with 87 children. An in-depth analysis of the…

This publication presents data about population characteristics in New York City from city, state, and federal agencies and synthesizes large data sets into basic indicators of social and economic wellbeing and tracking conditions for children in New York City's 59 community districts. It ranks child wellbeing in the districts across a range of…