To understand early childhood homelessness, we need more consistent federal data collection [childtrends.org]

Homelessness in early childhood is a known risk factor for children’s health and well-being. Because high-quality early care and education (ECE) programs can buffer some of the negative effects of homelessness on a child’s development, federal ECE programs (such as child care subsidy, Head Start, and early intervention) have begun to prioritize these children for care. Unfortunately, ECE providers in the field often have difficulty identifying families eligible for child care slots that are reserved for children experiencing homelessness.

In part, this is because states, communities, and federal ECE programs lack reliable data on young children’s housing status. Ensuring access to such reliable data is increasingly important as leaders decide how to allocate ECE resources, especially for families who are homeless. Federal agencies currently collect aggregated data from states and communities on their housing and homeless programs for administrative, regulatory, and law enforcement purposes. Differences in the information collected across agencies result in fragmented, uncoordinated data systems, making it hard to estimate the number of children (birth to age 5) experiencing homelessness.

The two agencies primarily responsible for reporting on children’s housing status are the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Each agency has its own priorities and goals for supporting these families and young children, so they collect these data differently. As one example, ED collects data on children living doubled up (e.g., staying with family and friends due to economic hardship), while HUD does not, so it is difficult to compare estimates across the two agencies’ datasets. Therefore, while HUD data tell us that almost half of all children in federally funded shelters are under age 6, this number does not include families living doubled up.

[For more on this story by SARA SHAW & ASHLEY HIRILALL, go to https://www.childtrends.org/to...eral-data-collection]