This article provides an overview of available research on children who experience homelessness, the impact of homelessness on children's physical and educational development outcomes, as well as policies and programs established to help address the issue of child homelessness. TANF is highlighted as a potential solution and applicable research is shared about job readiness services for homeless individuals. This article would be helpful to TANF programs interested in gaining a better understanding of the needs and more fully serving homeless families.

The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness released this public document announcing their commitment to end family homelessness by 2020. The document outlines the key areas of action to achieve this goal, including collaborating with federal partners to develop a centralized entry system with the capacity to assess needs, ensure interventions and assistance are tailored to the needs of families, help families connect to the mainstream resources, and develop and build upon practices for serving families experiencing and at-risk of experiencing homelessness.

This brief from the Transitional Jobs Network highlights a variety of models currently being used to connect homeless individuals with employment. Models highlighted include transitional jobs, individualized placement support, alternative staffing, customized employment, contextualized basic adult education, adult education bridge programs, and sector-based training. Within each model, a program example is provided for readers to better understand how the strategy is being used in the real world.

This study, commissioned by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, examines local programs that connect homeless individuals and families with other support services in order to best prevent future homelessness. Fourteen programs that have defined partnerships with other supportive service agencies were chosen for this study, and promising practices of these programs and partnerships are highlighted.

This ASPE Research Brief explores local programs for linking human services and housing supports to prevent and end family homelessness. The Research Brief is based on interviews with stakeholders in 14 communities nationwide, highlighting key practices that facilitated the implementation and ongoing sustainability of the programs.

The Office of Family Assistance provides guidance to states and is working in partnership with other agencies to combat family homelessness.

The Office of Family Assistance hosted a webinar, "Leveraging TANF Funds and Strategic Partnerships to Improve Housing Stability and Economic Outcomes for Low-Income Families." The webinar provided an overview of Federal regulations relating to the use of TANF and Maintenance of Effort funds, highlighted promising State and local program models for individuals at-risk, provided examples of allowable uses of TANF funds for homeless stability and employment services, and discussed strategies for choosing and implementing various program models and partnerships.

How can programs advance the self-sufficiency and well-being of at-risk youth? This report attempts to answer this important question by presenting a research-based framework for efforts to help at-risk youth enter a career workforce trajectory and prepare to become well-functioning, self-sufficient adults. The framework presented is particularly relevant for youth who are or could be served by ACF programs—especially homeless youth, youth in the foster care system, and teen parents—but it may also apply to other programs. The framework suggests the possibility of using evidence-informed interventions to address two primary areas: youths’ resilience and human capital development. It suggests finding tailored solutions grounded in a trusting relationship between youth and program staff to help move youth toward both healthy functioning and economic self-sufficiency as they transition to adulthood. This report was written as part of the Youth Demonstration Development project being conducted by Mathematica Policy Research and Chapin Hall Center for Children. (author abstract)

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has released an early childhood and family homelessness resource list in order to reinforce the importance of access to quality early childhood services for young homeless children and their families. The resources listed clarify policy options for State Administrators of Child Care and Head Start Directors to ensure that more young children and their families are served in child care and Head Start programs.

This report provides a synthesis of research and existing ACF resources for serving at-risk youth. It describes what we know from research about at-risk youth. It then describes how at-risk youth are currently being served by ACF programs and by programs outside of ACF that have been shown to put youth on a path toward self-sufficiency. Based on the review of research and resources, it identifies issues to consider in creating conceptual frameworks for developing and enhancing ACF programs that can or do serve at-risk youth. In the remainder of this chapter, we state the key questions that guide the synthesis, define some key concepts, and describe a number of at-risk youth populations served by ACF programs. (author abstract)