Homeless study: It takes a house to teach a child
The Boston Herald
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
by Jules Crittenden
After she split with
her husband, Tameka and her kids spent two years ``couch
surfing'' in other people's apartments, as she did what she
could to keep them fed and clothed.
She still doesn't know what effect
homelessness will have on her boys over the long haul.
``It worries me,'' said the Roxbury
mom, who asked that her last name not be used. For the past
three months, Tameka has lived at Sojourner House, a shelter
for homeless families, trying to get back on her feet and
into public housing so she can give Dupuy, 7, and Tyrese, 2,
a normal life.
Advocates for the homeless say there
are more than 3,000 homeless children in Massachusetts, of
which 1,400 are under 5. Yesterday, Horizons for Homeless
Children issued a report on a survey that found that only 44
percent of homeless children under 5 are in day care or
preschool programs, compared with 68 percent of young kids
statewide.
The report also cited studies that have found that
homelessness leads to developmental delays and emotional
problems that make kids less ready for school.
State legislators and the commissioners
of Transitional Assistance and the Office of Child Care
Services met with Horizons representatives yesterday and
pledged to improve access to day care and preschool by
streamlining voucher programs and making transportation
available.
``Those years are years of incredible
growth and development,'' said Ed Cameron, Horizons policy
director. ``When we talk about MCAS scores for 10th-graders,
the train may have already left the station for these kids
when they were 4 or 5 years of age.''
In homeless families, Cameron
said, ``Ninety percent of the time it's a single mom who has
to work and do everything for the children. Parents are
experiencing depression and anxiety. Kids aren't going to get
read to. They don't have toys. Families have everything in
one bag.''
(The executive summary of the Horizons for Homeless Children report is available here.)