In a comprehensive report on child homelessness released March 10, the National Center on Family Homelessness (NCFH) compiles information from a wide variety of sources to rank the 50 states on the extent and nature of child homelessness within their borders.
The publication includes a two-page report card for each state and the nation as a whole based on four broad categories: the extent of child homelessness; child well-being; structural risk factors for child homelessness; and states’ policy and planning efforts. NCFH adds value to these data by condensing them into state-level indices, including one for each of the four categories and one overall index.
In the report, NCFH estimates that more than 1.5 million children in families – or 2% of all children in the country – experience homelessness annually, and that three-quarters of homeless children are concentrated in 11 states. (Texas, California, and Louisiana each have more than three times as many children experiencing homelessness as the next highest-ranking state.) Based on both the percentage of children who experience homelessness, as well as on data from the other categories, NCFH gives Connecticut the highest marks on child homelessness; Texas receives the lowest.
Beyond the report cards, this 220-page compendium is a real resource for advocates because it compiles data from numerous sources and different years, and where data are incomplete, it uses Census data on children living in poverty as a proxy for homeless populations. The report also highlights findings from previous research on the detrimental impact of homelessness for children (e.g., homeless children are twice as likely as those with homes to go hungry, report health problems, and to be held back in school).
America’s Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness is available at http://www.homelesschildrenamerica.org/pdf/rcfullreport.pdf.