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Minnesotans have a reputation of being tireless and effective advocates for all children. We are recognized for our willingness to speak up to insure that all children have a healthy start in life. No one needs this healthy start more than children who have been homeless. Watch Video

NEW 2009 Statewide Homeless Research This study from Wilder Research found more homelss children than ever, with half of homeless children age 5 or younger and racial and ethnic minorities disproportionately affected. Click here to read

The Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness has released Minnesota’s Roadmap for Ending Homelessness: a comprehensive set of strategies for maximizing and aligning future work on this initiative. Click here to view PDF

Homelessness and accompanying trauma can have a profound negative impact on all areas of a child's development.  Yet, children and youth continue to represent a growing population of the homeless.  To learn more, read Wilder Research 2009 Minnesota homeless fact sheet, Homeless Children in Minnesota and their Families.

 
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Connect with websites that can build your knowledge and support your work.

Minnesota Parents Know
Parenting information to parents about children newborn to adolescent.

Minnesota Parents Know/Help Me Grow
Referral program available to parents and providers who have a concern about  a child’s development.

Zero to Three
Informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers.

Safe Start Center
Broaden the knowledge of and promote community investment in evidence-based strategies for reducing the impact of children's exposure to violence.

YouthLink                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Creates relationships with youth and the community, creating future opportunities of empowerment, self-sufficiency, and connectedness.

Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness
Research on family homelessness, data and ideas that will inform and enhance public policy on serving homeless families

Research
Infant/Toddler Discovery Project

Very little research has been published on the needs of very young children, newborn to four, who have experienced homelessness and living in supportive housing.

In 2003, the Twin Cities Supportive Housing Provider Group, a collaborative of 17 supportive housing providers, began an in-depth discovery process of the status of very young children, their parents, and the supportive housing staff who serve them.

Click on the links to the full report and executive summary to learn about our process of discovery, the evidence-based research tools we used, the results of the surveys, and the recommendations for serving children who have experienced homelessness.

In addition to the discovery process and outcomes, we invite you to learn from the families directly about how cultural knowledge (or the lack of it) influences parenting and the family’s ability to support healthy child development. This exploration is particularly important due to over-representation of families-of-color who have experienced homelessness and come to live in supportive housing.

  • Culture Matters: The Importance of Cultural Knowledge When Working with Families Who Have Experienced Homelessness,    pdf FULL REPORT