Pregnant, Parenting, and Homeless: A Startling Look at the Numbers
Living in LA, which has the second highest homeless population in America, I see homelessness every day. And I continue to reach out, explore new research, and share what I know. The more I uncover, the more I see the layers of the issue, its root causes, and the people it affects. I’ve been writing about homelessness and at-risk single mothers — moms who aren’t homeless yet but may become homeless real soon. Now, I’m sharing news about another at-risk population that again many people may not think about: Pregnant women and young parents who find themselves on the streets.
The facts we know
New research by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago shows that there are 4.2 million adolescents and young adults in the U.S. experiencing homelessness during any 12-month period, and many of these homeless youth are pregnant or young parents.
From there, the statistics get worse. In the study, 32% of young women, ages 18 to 25, and 8% of young men, ages 18 to 25, reported having physical custody of at least one child while homeless.
In addition, about 1.1 million children have a young parent who experienced homelessness in the past year. This is hard for the parents and hard for the children, as more and more research shows that prolonged periods of instability during early childhood can have adverse effects on kids’ development.
Once homeless, support for pregnant women and young parents is hard to find. Few homeless service providers serve minor parents. In addition, it was found that it can be difficult for young families experiencing homelessness to maintain relationships while receiving services.
These factors are disturbing on their own, and even more so when considered with past information I’ve shared:
· 40% of all homeless people are under 18
· 80% of homeless 12- to 21-year-olds have drug or alcohol problems
Moving toward solutions
The Chapin Hall report asserts that supporting these young people and their families is critical to ending homelessness for young people in America, and it puts forth a number of recommendations for addressing the issue.
Strategies involve:
· Providing homeless youth evidence-based pregnancy prevention programs tailed to their needs
· Connecting young homeless parents with programs that address both their needs and the needs of their children
· Strengthening programs that support reunification of homeless pregnant women and young parents with their families in order to avoid homelessness
· Recognizing and filling the gaps in the availability of services for homeless young parents
The issue of homelessness evokes many different images. For many people, who are removed from the situation and don’t face it daily on the streets of their towns, they picture the homeless as older people — “bums on the street” or men and women in shabby clothes, down on their luck. But the image we often don’t think of is pregnant girls, or young couples homeless with their babies by their side. Regardless, all these images are horrible. And all of them must be addressed.
In future blogs, I’ll be exploring this issue further, monitoring progress of some of these strategies highlighted, and seeking ways that everyone, whether we know someone at risk or not, can come together to make a difference. It starts with awareness and understanding, and it leads to action.
Steve is a visionary, advocate for the homeless, and accomplished entrepreneur and business leader. Steve is the Founder and CEO of Believe in Big Change, a global community dedicated to solving the world’s homelessness problem by giving single at-risk mothers the best possible tools, skills and platforms to provide for and lead their families, communities, and countries. Steve is a recovering alcoholic who created Believe in Big Change to provide hope, strength and inspiration to those struggling with addiction, mental health and other disorders and conditions.
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