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…

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…

Researchers in many fields agree. The physical, social, and economic health and well-being of adults and society as a whole are strongly influenced by the early experiences of children, when the foundation for effective cognitive and social skills and abilities are developed. Children who have developmental delays or disabilities require and often…

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…

This Kids Count data book examines trends in the well-being of Minnesota's African-American, American Indian, Asian, and Latino children. The statistical portrait is based on 22 indicators of child well-being: (1) attitudes about race; (2) housing patterns; (3) future plans; (4) social involvement; (5) park usage; (6) negative treatment; (7) bias…