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DORCHESTER, Mass. – (April 20, 2004) – This morning, Horizons for Homeless Children’s (formerly The Horizons Initiative) Community Children’s Center in Jamaica Plain hosted the release of “Bridging the Gap: Early Care and Education for Massachusetts Young Homeless Children”, a report that finds that homeless young children are less likely to access child care and early education programs compared to other children. Audience members included state officials, and representatives from Greater Boston nonprofit programs serving homeless children.
The report was summarized by Ed Cameron, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Horizons for Homeless Children. Along with Executive Director Sue Heilman, this past winter Cameron surveyed 127 shelters serving homeless families. The survey found that only 44% of homeless young children aged birth to 5 years of age are in some form of early care and education program compared to 68% of all MA young children in the general population. In the report, Horizons for Homeless Children makes a number of recommendations designed to increase access to early education and child care for homeless young children, improve the quality of those services, and coordinate the planning of service delivery.
The attending state officials included State Representative Liz Malia (Jamaica Plain), Massachusetts Office of Child Care Services Commissioner Ardith Wieworka, and Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance Commissioner John Wagner. All officials spoke about homelessness in the Commonwealth and the need to do more, indicating that this new report will be a valuable tool in moving forward.
One of the more poignant components of the morning’s program was a story shared by a formerly homeless mother in our program. A victim of severe domestic violence, she described how she and her daughter were forced to move to Boston to find safety. After staying with friends for a period of time and then sleeping in car for several nights, the family found shelter. The mother said, “The look in my daughter’s eyes [from the experience of being homeless] was more painful to me than the injuries I had received from my batterer.” Once the family was in shelter, the young daughter was enrolled at Horizons for Homeless Children. After intensive support from the Horizons staff, her daughter is progressing rapidly. The family recently moved into permanent housing.
The event was one of many efforts underway at Horizons for Homeless Children to better serve homeless children while working to end and prevent homelessness.
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Homelessness is impacting more families and children in Massachusetts each year. At the end of 2003, 1,545 homeless families were living in emergency family shelters and motels funded by the state with more than 3,000 children, 1,400 of whom were between birth and five years of age.
Homelessness has grave impacts on child development. As a result, compared with their housed peers, young homeless children experience more developmental delays, emotional problems such as anxiety and depression, and behavioral issues. Homelessness, whether of long or short duration, is a condition that impacts greatly on a young child’s school readiness.
Founded in 1988 as an independent, non-profit organization, Horizons for Homeless Children is dedicated to serving homeless children and their families. Headquartered in Dorchester, the organization has created over 56 Playspaces in family shelters throughout Massachusetts and recruited and trained more than 4000 community members to become Playspace Activity Leaders working with the children living in the shelters each week. Horizons for Homeless Children’s two Community Children's Centers provide childcare for 126 homeless children and parent support services for almost 100 families each weekday. Plans are in place to open a third Community Children’s Center in 2004.
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L-R: Anita Moeller, Head Start-Collaboration Project Director, Commissioner Ardith Wieworka, Massachusetts Office of Child Care Services & Ed Cameron, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Horizons for Homeless Children
State Representative Liz Malia (Jamaica Plain) speaks to the issue of homelessness
Sue Heilman,
Executive Director,
Horizons for Homeless Children
Commissioner John Wagner, Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance
Commissioner Ardith Wieworka, Massachusetts Office of
Child Care Services
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