eNotes
January 8, 2016In this Issue:
- Early Childhood Homelessness in the United States: 50-State Profile Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - January 8, 2016
- Fact Sheet on Young Children Living in Deep Poverty Source: National Center for Children in Poverty - January 8, 2016
- International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education - New Issue Available Source: International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education - January 7, 2015
1. Early Childhood Homelessness in the United States: 50-State Profile
Today, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) released Early Childhood Homelessness in the United States: 50-State Profile (January 2016), which provides a snapshot of data available for young children experiencing homelessness in each state. Quality early childhood education programs can help reduce the risks associated with homelessness by supporting children's learning and development in safe, stable and nurturing environments; however many vulnerable young children experiencing homelessness in the United States lack access to quality programs. This new resource can be used as a tool for communities in planning to meet the needs of these children.
2. Fact Sheet on Young Children Living in Deep Poverty
A new report, Young Children in Deep Poverty (January 2016), compares the early health, development, and risk characteristics of young children living in deep poverty (family income is below 50 percent of the federal poverty line (FPL)) to children in families that are poor, but not deeply poor (family income is 50 percent to 99 percent of the FPL), and to families that are not poor (family income is 100 percent or more of the FPL). Results of the descriptive analyses show that young children in deep poverty fared even worse than poor children on several health and development indicators, most notably blood lead levels, obesity, and parents' assessment of whether children are "flourishing," a composite measure reflecting children's curiosity, resilience, affection, and positive mood. Young children in deep poverty also appear to be at higher risk for future health and development problems, based on the presence of family adversities; these include parents in poor or fair health or mental health, frequent parenting stress, and a lack of perceived social support and security in the family's neighborhood. The report concludes with policy recommendations aimed at reducing the number of young children in deep poverty and promoting the well-being of children in families currently facing severe economic hardship.
3. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education - New Issue Available
The December 2015 issue of the International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education (INT-JECSE) is now available online. INT-JECSE is an open-access, peer reviewed journal offering scholarly articles on various issues related to young children with special needs (0-8 age) and their families. View the Table of Contents with abstracts and links to the full-text articles.