University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Ensuring healthy development for all youth: homelessness is trauma connecting with the invisible families: fostering the parent-child bond

(USC Thesis Other)

Ensuring healthy development for all youth: homelessness is trauma connecting with the invisible families: fostering the parent-child bond

PDF

Download a page range

Download transcript

Copy asset link

Request this asset

Transcript (if available)

Content Running head: ENSURE HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL YOUTH 1
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth:
Homelessness is Trauma
Connecting with the Invisible Families: Fostering the Parent-Child Bond
Nancy Paredes DSW, LMFT
Capstone Project for
Doctor of Social Work
Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
University of Southern California
Spring 2020
2
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth

Ensure Healthy Development for all
Youth:
Homelessness is Trauma

Connecting With the Invisible Families:
Fostering the Parent-Child Bond
Nancy Paredes DSW, LMFT
University of Southern California
School of Social Work
3
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I want to thank God! This would have never been possible if he
wasn't by my side guiding me and always holding my hand when I felt defeated. I would like to
thank my parents but most importantly my mother, my superhero, my everything! From a young
age you taught me the value of education, you always told us people may take everything from
you, but they will never take your knowledge and will-power. Without my mother's
encouragement, support, and struggles I would not be part of that small percentage of Latina's
that hold a doctoral degree. I would like to thank my sister, she really had to put up with a lot of
my anger and frustrations. Thank you for listening and telling me the truth, no matter if I wanted
to hear it or not! For your encouragement and words of wisdom since you too have been here
before. Thank you to my brother, for his silly jokes and unconditional support. To my only
nephew, my duckie, without your smile, hugs, and kisses I wouldn't have been able to put a smile
on my face and keep going. When you grow older, I want you to be proud of your number one
auntie. I would like to thank my cousin Jennifer, without our world travels this, this journey
would have been much more difficult. Thank you for watching me rehearse my final defense
and for your support and feedback! You’re next! To my work family, you all have been such an
integral part of my professional and personal development and I will always thank you for this.
To my precious doggy Bella, you have been so patient and destructive during my class time but
without being forced to walk you I would have not taken part in self-care.
To my Trojan family, thank you for the last two years of support and constructive
feedback. You helped me get to where I am today. Thank you to all my professors in the last two
years, your support, and guidance helped me reach my goals. A special thank you to Dr. Islam,
thank you for pushing me during Residency I and for believing in me.
4
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Lastly, to my wonderful and supportive husband. Prior to meeting you I always wondered
and dreamt about pursuing a doctorate but never believed I could. When I met you that changed!
You believed in me. You pushed me, encouraged me and most importantly supported me. You
put up with my horrible mood swings, late night studies, and missing family events. I appreciate
you more than words can ever express. Thank you for taking part in my class video assignments
even when you felt funny doing it. Thank you for the dinners, the packed lunches, and for giving
me your unconditional love always. This degree is for us and our future!

5
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Executive Summary
What children experience in early childhood can have an everlasting impact. In early
intervention and prevention, we learn that providing responsive, stable, and nurturing
relationships in the early years of life can lead to lifelong benefits of learning, health, and
behavior. According to Swick (2008), the environment in which a child grows up has a powerful
impact on how the child develops and what the child learns.
Grand Challenge
The grand challenge addressed in this proposed program is ensuring the healthy
development of youth. This grand challenge works alongside unleashing the power of
prevention. The goals of Unleashing the Power of Prevention are to reduce the prevalence of
behavioral health problems in the population of young people from birth to age 24 by 20%
(Hawkins et al., 2015). The proposed program, Reaching 4 the Sky aligns with this grand
challenge and their strategy of unleashing the power of prevention. It focuses on ensuring that
preventative measures reach the highest risk children, which in this case is homeless
preschoolers ages 2-4 years old. Aligned with this grand challenge, Reaching 4 the Sky creates
an infrastructure, program, and training to implement the power of prevention in order to
distribute equity and ensure the healthy development of all youth despite economic differences.
The Problem
The persistent problem is the rise in homelessness but also the rise in child/family
homelessness. What we know is that homelessness impacts children of all ages. However, what
we do not know is that preschoolers currently have the highest percentage of homelessness
because they are unaccounted for (Schoonmaker, M. personal communication, March 28, 2019).
First 5 LA (n.d.), estimates that roughly 3,000 children under age 6 in L.A. County are homeless
6
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
on any given night, and over three times as many, or approximately 11,000 children under six
years old are homeless at some point during the year. The widespread of behaviors shown by
young children impacted by trauma can present a multitude of challenges in a variety of
domains: affective, behavioral, physiological, and relational (Holmes, Levy, Smith, Pinne, &
Neese, 2015). Meeting the needs of families experiencing homelessness requires a cross-sector,
collaborative, and comprehensive approach based on relationships and partnerships between
housing and early childhood providers. The current state of the problem is the rise in
homelessness, specifically the rise in preschool-aged homelessness, and the deficits in a child's
level of development when the parental bond is broken or severed. There is a vast array of
harmful behaviors that holds this problem in place, which includes a persistent gap in services.
Unfortunately, there are many reasons why children are not obtaining the necessary services.
Some of these have to do with the vast barriers that homelessness creates for families, and some
stems from a lack of public and societal awareness. There should be an awareness of the needs
and benefits of helping homeless families to not only receive educational and financial gain but
also to teach parents how to nurture a secure attachment with their child.
Depending upon family circumstances, a preschooler’s early attachment may function as
a protective or detrimental factor to the child’s new developmental challenges and the
consequent challenges of parenting. Homelessness imposes unique financial, emotional, and
physical barriers that can further stress parents, making it challenging for them to foster a
relationship or parent effectively. The preoccupation with meeting a child’s basic needs,
emotional distress, and fatigue are likely to affect the parent’s resourcefulness and psychological
availability in supporting the child’s budding autonomy.
The Solution & Innovation
7
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Children affected by trauma need a safe, caring, and consistent environment, the
proposed program will specifically address homeless preschoolers, ages 2-4, and their parent(s).
Direct adult-child interactions provide an intimate link in parent-child bonding; through these
experiences, children develop empathy, form the bases for caring relations with others, and
create emotionally enriching behaviors (Swick, 2008). This proposed program will look at
fostering the parent-child connection within the social context of the public library system in LA
County. The idea of this strategy is that early intervention will prevent long-term behavioral
problems. It is important to note that while this program is not designed to solve the issue of
family homelessness, it will address the impact that homelessness has on preschool-aged
children and their parents and the importance of fostering a parent-child connection. The
proposed capstone, Reaching 4 the Sky, will utilize quantifiable, therapeutic, and didactic skills
to assist homeless preschoolers and their parent(s). Developing a training program comprised of
workshops within the county library systems to help focus on the importance of the parental
bond while keeping in tune with the sensitive needs of this population.
The vision for this proposed program is to help draw attention and attempt to create a
new understanding that homelessness is traumatic for preschoolers and their parents, and it can
have a detrimental impact on the ability to bond with one another. The continued vision is that
the impact of homelessness is acknowledged, and the importance of helping preschoolers build a
bond with their parent is supported, encouraged, and maintained.
Future Action Steps
The proposed program will launch its initial pilot in 2020, Reaching 4 the Sky will be
placed within what has been considered a safe gathering place for children and families, the
library. The goal is to have the final curriculum developed by June 2020, and the first pilot
8
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
program to be held by September 2020. This initial pilot will consist of the program developer
who is a licensed clinician as well as two social work interns that are looking to collect hours.
Conducting the pilot program with only students will help keep the costs of staff and employees
to zero. Of note, once the launch of the pilot is successful, the program will transition to having
on staff employed licensed clinicians in addition to students. The program will be launched in
LA County service area six, which is identified by First5LA as the cities (Compton/Watts) that
currently hold the most significant percentage of homeless preschoolers. The initial pilot
program will only consist of 6-9 preschoolers, and their parents and initial spending costs will be
low, given that not much advertising will take place as the program is only in its beginning
stages. The first family referrals will be sought from an established relationship with early head
start programs. Therefore, the distribution of fliers will be necessary. The model is based on the
premise that the parent-child bond is influenced by their environment and stressors surrounding
them. The common assumptions underlying the design of the conceptual model are that homeless
parents with young children have a complicated set of needs, and the proposed innovation,
Reaching 4 the Sky will ensure that these needs are met and that positive child and parent
outcomes are realized. The hope for Reaching 4 the Sky is that it becomes a program that serves
as a preventative measure on a child’s future success. The expectation is that this innovative
program design will help foster parent-child relationship building in homeless families. Through
the use of internal/external stakeholders, this non-profit will have the capacity to serve as many
families possible while assisting society with acknowledging the everlasting traumatic impact
homelessness has on preschool children. While the development of this program will not reach
every homeless parent and preschooler, it will be able to address families that may not have been
otherwise addressed or too afraid to use other services. The desire is that with continued
9
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
outreach, fundraising, and funding, this program will be able to expand from one service area to
all eight service areas within LA County and eventually into all public library systems. The
desire is that this program obtains continued revenue sources to help allow for the ability to help
as many families as possible. This program serves as an innovative change of one’s mindset of
focusing on the fundamental basics of human connection. As there are programs designed to
address a child’s basic needs and early childhood education, incorporating a program specifically
designed to meet the needs of homeless children ages 2-4 will help with not only providing a
heuristic framework but the development of an innovative pedagogical program that will help
make a dent in the way families learn to connect and foster budding relationships.

10
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Conceptual Framework
Problem
Homelessness has been on the rise in recent years, and the impact of expensive housing
in LA County is partly to blame. The visibility of homelessness is becoming part of the everyday
norm, and the need to help this population is ever more evident. The increase in homelessness
has also led to an increase in homeless families. This paper looks at the grand challenge of
ensuring the healthy development for all youth. The initiative for this grand challenge is to
examine the effects of preventative interventions to prevent behavioral health problems in young
people (Hawkins, et al., 2015). This paper will look at preschoolers and examine the effects of
homelessness on a child's ability to build a bond with their parent. Homelessness has particularly
adverse effects on children and youth, including hunger, poor physical and mental health, and
missed educational opportunities (American Psychological Association, n.d.). The effect of
homelessness on children, particularly young children, is grueling and may lead to changes in
brain architecture that can interfere with social-emotional development, learning, cognitive
skills, and self-regulation (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2012).
According to the Administration for Children and Families (2016), one in eighteen children
under the age of six experience homelessness. In California, one in thirteen children experience
homelessness. It is essential to define homeless; the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) utilize different criteria to
define homelessness. HUD defines homelessness more narrowly as those who are homeless or at
imminent risk of becoming so (National Alliance to End Homelessness, n.d.). In contrast, service
eligibility, data collection, and legal requirements under the ED definition of homelessness
encompass a broader range of families, such as including children and families who are staying
11
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
temporarily with others or residing in a motel or hotel (National Alliance to End Homelessness,
n.d.). The distinction between these two different definitions is essential not only because it
impacts outreach and access to services targeting the homeless, but it also impacts who is viewed
as homeless in the public discourse. This capstone will utilize the definition under the
Department of Education in order to be more inclusive of families.
Effects of homelessness. Homelessness jeopardizes the health, early development, and
educational well-being of preschool-aged children. Research has established a strong correlation
between a young child’s early experiences and the development of his or her brain structure
(Volk, 2014). The early years of life can provide a strong or weak foundation for all future
learning, behavior, and health (Center on the Developing Child, 2007). Critical aspects of brain
architecture are shaped by experiences before and soon after birth, and many fundamental
aspects are established before a child even enters school (Center on the Developing Child, 2007).
When homelessness is experienced in early childhood, there is a strong correlation with poor
early development and long-term educational success. Experiences of homelessness during
infancy and toddlerhood are associated with poor academic achievement and engagement in
elementary school (Fantuzzo, Leboeuf, Brumley, & Perlman, 2015). Additionally, experiences of
homelessness are associated with social, emotional delays among young children (Haskett, et al.,
2015) and poor classroom‐based social skills in elementary school (Brumley, Fantuzzo, Perlman,
& Zager, 2015). Parents and children who experience homelessness experience difficulties later
in life, particularly in the school setting (Guarino & Bassuk, 2010); however, few studies
examine the potential implications of homelessness on fostering the child-parent bond. The
quality of the parent-child relationship is crucial for children's healthy development and learning
(Winston & Chicot, 2016). Homeless families experience multiple barriers to realizing the
12
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
needed bonding and nurturance for having healthy parent-child relationships. As stated by
Sroufe, Egeland, Carlson, & Collins (2005), the quality of early caregiving during infancy and
toddlerhood strongly predicts the preschooler’s independent functioning and social competence
and the quality of the parent-child relationship. Depending upon family circumstances, a
preschooler’s early attachment may function as a protective or detrimental factor to the child’s
new developmental challenges and the consequent challenges of parenting. Homelessness
imposes unique financial, emotional, and physical barriers that can further stress parents, making
it challenging for them to build a relationship or parent effectively. The preoccupation with
meeting a child’s basic needs, emotional distress, and fatigue are likely to affect the parent’s
resourcefulness and psychological availability in supporting the child’s budding autonomy.
Homelessness is Trauma
Homelessness impacts individuals of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and geographical
locations. It has become a national tragedy that affects individuals and families throughout the
United States, and this paper will specifically look at Los Angeles County. There are an
estimated 180,413 people in families- or 56,342 family households that were identified as
homeless in January 2018 (National Alliance to End Homelessness, n.d.). Most of these children
have experienced and/or will experience some form of trauma that will affect their overall health
and development. According to The National Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) (n.d.), there
are multiple families and children that have experienced trauma before becoming homeless, and
homelessness can worsen the consequences of trauma or retraumatize a child, resulting in a cycle
that is damaging to not only the child, and family unit but to communities. Many parents that are
homeless particularly single mothers have experienced their own trauma which in turn impacts
their ability to make a connection with their preschooler which directly impacts their child’s
13
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
development and difficulty with building a secure attachment (Schadt, 2018). According to Rog
& Buckner (2007), a serious physical illness or psychiatric disability can start a downward spiral
to homelessness, beginning with a lost job, then depletion of savings to pay for care, and ending
with an eventual eviction that proves challenging to reverse. Epidemiological findings have
suggested that risk for homelessness increases for women who experienced inadequate parental
care, exposure to parental mental illness (e.g., substance abuse), physical and sexual abuse as
children, and foster care placement during childhood, high rates of substance abuse, severe
mental disorders (e.g., major depression), suicide, and psychiatric hospitalization have been
reported for homeless mothers (Deck, 2016).
Beyond the risk factors leading up to homelessness, the physical, emotional, and financial
difficulties faced during periods of homelessness may significantly stress a mother's capacity to
parent. Under the family stress theory, which defines and explores when stressors become more
frequent or if the parent/family lacks the support of significant relationships, there is an
accumulation of insecurity, which can lead to a personal/family crisis (Robinson, 1997). These
stressors imply a disruption of daily routines as one of the most significant factors affecting
children’s sense of security (Robinson, 1997). The quality of early caregiving during infancy
and toddlerhood strongly predicts the preschooler's independent functioning and social
competence as well as the quality of the parent-preschooler relationship (Sroufe, Egeland,
Carlson, & Collins, 2005). Homelessness impacts all individuals involved and poses a threat to
the family unit. Homelessness is traumatic for all individuals involved and becomes more
complicated when parents are juggling a family’s needs while trying to attend to their own
(Deck, 2016). Parenting is a crucial mediator of children’s psychosocial adjustment. In
concordance with the ecological theory, a strong influence on children’s development is the
14
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
parent-child relationship (Perlman, Cowan, Gewirtz, & Haskett, 2012). Stressful family contexts
impair parenting and, consequently, child adjustment (Gewirtz, Burkhart, Loehman & Haukebo,
2014).
Homelessness and Childhood Trauma
Homelessness is traumatic for young children. It is important to define childhood trauma
as the emotional and/or physical responses that arise as the result of adverse experiences a child
may be exposed to in their formative years (Bassuk & Friedman, 2005). The loss of possessions,
routines, privacy, security, and community can lead to a stressful situation for young children,
which can later lead to mental health disorders. Children who are homeless often live in chaotic
and unsafe environments where there is frequent exposure to various forms of violence,
including domestic violence, physical/sexual abuse, unpredictable adult behaviors and responses,
and dramatic life changes such as moving from place to place, family separations, and placement
in foster care (Guarino & Bassuk, 2010). Nearly one-quarter of children who are homeless have
witnessed acts of violence within their family, a significantly higher rate than children in the
general population (The National Center on Family Homelessness, 2009). An unsafe or disrupted
relationship with a primary caregiver is one of the most traumatic experiences that a child can
face and has a profound impact on their health and overall development (Cotter, Wilsie &
Brestan-Knight, 2018). The bond between parent and child is crucial to their development.
Impact on the Parent-Child Bond
Babies are born into relationships. Much has been written about the biological propensity
for attachment—how babies are prepared to recognize and use caregivers, and how parents
become psychologically available to provide care that assures their babies’ survival. In addition
to recognizing the need for parent-child support services, it is important to briefly review the
15
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
concept as introduced by British psychologist John Bowlby. Bowlby believed that the earliest
bonds formed by children with their caregivers have a tremendous impact that continues
throughout their life (Cherry, 2019). The dominant theme of attachment theory is that primary
caregivers who are available and responsive to an infant's needs allow the child to develop a
sense of security (Cherry, 2019). Just like it is crucial to maintain this secure sense of
attachment, what we know is that episodes such as homelessness can create disruption and
traumatic situations that can place a child at a higher risk of developing an insecure attachment
(Prather, & Golden, 2009). When disrupted by severe parental stress, abuse, and neglect, or other
traumas, children's development suffers. Homeless mothers experience high rates of major
depressive disorder compared to the general population (Bassuk & Beardslee, 2014). A parent
that may be depressed will not be as emotionally available to their child (Harvey, 2013). The
parent’s interactions may be less frequent or more negative in interaction, which may lead to an
insecure attachment (Harvey, 2013). When parenting is consistent and trustworthy, children learn
to expect care, especially when they feel distressed (David, Gelberg, &Suchman, 2012).
However, in homeless families, this ability to form a bond can be tainted, given the
stressors surrounding them and their families. The average age of children in homeless families
is six years, with a majority of children being of preschool age (Jiang, Ekono & Skinner, 2014).
These children are at grave risk for various health, developmental, and psychological problems,
including depression, anxiety, and serious behavior problems (Bassuk, 1990; Wright, 1990). In a
study conducted by Lindsey (1998), she noted the overarching theme/concept was the difficulty
mothers and their children as family units faced in establishing and maintaining ordered
mother/child relationships. Her study continued to note that many homeless mothers experience
difficulties and frustration in child caretaking and the parent-child relationship because of the
16
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
stress of homelessness (Lindsey, 1998). There is a reported high degree of ambivalence in
homeless preschoolers' relationships with their mothers and a high prevalence of depression
among homeless mothers (Molnar, Rath, & Klein, 1990).
In order to identify the need for parent-child bonding, it is important to utilize and
examine it from the perspective of the social-ecological theory. This theory suggests that
children develop within a multi-layered ecosystem that supports their ability to bond and develop
(Golden & Earp, 2012). This theory goes on to state that children bond first with the parents,
especially a primary caregiver. The central theme is the use of relationships to create structures
and ensure that this ecology is extended to local social environments (Golden & Earp, 2012).
Toddlerhood is a crucial time for brain development. They (preschoolers) and their parents must
be supported during this time to promote attachment. Without a good initial bond, children are
less likely to grow up to become happy, independent, and resilient adults (Miller, 2009).
Lastly, insecure patterns of attachment result from unreliable parenting that compromises
the attachment partnership (David, Gelberg, &Suchman, 2012). Homelessness destabilizes
insecure patterns of care and increase children’s needs for adults. Disorganization starts within
the parent-child relationship but contaminates children’s sense of the larger world. These
preschoolers who are struggling with disorganized patterns of attachment show high patterns of
aggressive behaviors by age three and become dangerous towards others by age five (Winston, &
Chicot, 2016). Trauma disrupts children's developmental abilities and change their attitudes
about themselves and the safety of their worlds. A secure attachment is the foundation for
learning and healthy, long-lasting relationships in the future. With a secure attachment or safe
base, children can explore their environments and relate to others socially. A secure attachment
may also reduce challenging behaviors and the risk for child abuse (Bassuk, & Beardslee, 2014).
17
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
It is important to understand the impact that poverty places on education and students. Poverty
places these students at a disadvantage that is not only environmental but also physical,
behavioral, and psychological. Children who grow up poor are more prone to externalizing
disorders. These disorders are caused by disruptions in the emotional regulatory system due to
the chronic and acute stressors typical in situations of poverty (Vale, 2016). The forgotten
problem has been the impact that homelessness has on the parent-child relationship. It is vital to
support the development of a young child's relationship and responsive interactions. It is
understood that with the implications and struggles of being homeless, parents face difficulty
with being able to build positive relationships with their children, which in turn can cause a
variety of socioemotional problems (Guarino, 2013).
Proposed Innovation in this Environment.
The proposed prototype Reaching 4 the Sky (R4S), will utilize clinical, therapeutic, and
educational skills to assist homeless preschoolers and their parent(s), with developing a training
program comprised of workshops within the county library systems to help focus on the
importance of the parental bond while keeping in tune with the sensitive needs of this population.
While there are current programs in place to provide needed material items to families, there is
still much work to be done concerning the impact that being homeless creates on parents and
their children. Current programs in place through LA County and California are focused on the
older school-aged children versus addressing the intrinsic needs of younger aged children
(Wright, & Edginton, 2016). In-home visitation programs and therapeutic programs focus more
so on addressing the mental health of parents, which is a valuable resource; however, there needs
to be more involved with the child in order to build on their relationship and establishing the
child's attachment. R4S will address the parent-child relationship and focus on ways of making it
18
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
a more relaxed learning environment while attending to the sensitive needs of this population.
This program will be different from what is already in existence as it will be available at a library
center, which is seen as a place that contains a plethora of information while helping both parents
and preschoolers develop executive functioning skills. It will not only contain ways of building
upon the parent-child bond but will also serve as an informational series of sessions designed to
address parenting, advocacy, referral gathering, and the ability for parents to have a coffee break
to engage with other parents that may be experiencing the same problems. The hope is that this
program will help change the mindset of how society views homelessness and that they
remember the forgotten/invisible population, preschoolers.
Using the set-up of a community-based program is a beneficial and valuable way to
strengthen and further promote relationship building with not just their children but with other
families that are experiencing the same triumphs and tribulations. The critical component of
family-centered workshops/programs is to provide an environment of shared information in the
context of a responsive and supportive group. According to Trivette & Dunst (2014),
community-based parent support programs are based on the belief that when parents receive
parenting support as well as other supports and resources, they are more likely to feel better
about themselves and their parenting abilities, and in turn, interact with their children in
responsible and supportive ways enhancing the development of their children.
Addressing the parental-child bond at an early stage, will ensure that these children, once
they enter the educational environment, will be well equipped to handle and better cope with life
stressors. Currently, many programs are focused on older kids within the school environment,
and the preschool-age children appear to be forgotten despite this time in their development
being the most crucial. This proposed program would fit into the current environmental context
19
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
of the problem of developing and nurturing family building in a much-needed climate of an
increase of homelessness. Implementing this program within the county library systems would
make it a beneficial way to reach as many families as possible with a free service that may even
be within walking distance from their location. Libraries function as the heart of communities,
and despite the increase in technology, they remain a valuable community center that brings
together diverse groups of people and can enrich lives every day. In California, more than 1100
public libraries are visited each year by more than 6 million young children and their families
(Early Learning, n.d.). Public libraries are second only to public parks as the most frequented
destination by families with young children (Early Learning, n.d.).
The ultimate goal of this program would be to continue to move throughout LA County
and offer these workshops to families across LA in various languages starting with Spanish. It
would be beneficial to look at long-term outcomes of offering this program within shelters,
community centers, and head start programs.
Logic Model
Reaching for the Sky seeks to create change by providing parents with social
support, hands-on assistance, often in the form of advocacy, and case management if needed; and
education about parenting and child development. Social support and practical assistance would
help to engage families and to build relationships with their preschooler. Utilizing the logic
model and theory of change, this proposed program will contribute to reducing the impact that
homelessness has on parent-child relationship building. R4S would take into account the various
traumas faced by this population and would ensure that the safety and emotional/physical well-
being of families is taken into consideration. The primary mission and goal of this program is to
build strong and effective partnerships with families and their children in order to ensure that
20
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
families thrive. The inputs utilized would include partnerships with First 5 LA, LA County
Department of Education, LA County Libraries, and partnerships with universities in order to
utilize students in social work or counseling psychology that are attempting to obtain their hours
(see Appendix A). It would also be beneficial to look at the outputs and the number of families
that could be served at a given time, and the number of workshops held (see Appendix A).
Given the many strides that have been implemented to assist homeless families, such as offering
shelter, food, clothing, and access to education (i.e., head start), there remains the gap in
services, fostering the parent-child bond. The trauma faced by homeless parents and preschoolers
is one that can have lasting effects, particularly in the child's ability to build secure attachments.
As highlighted by California's first surgeon general, Burke Harris, when children are exposed to
high levels of stress or abuse often enough, hormones are triggered that can have lasting effects
on brain development and the immune system. She says that in such situations, the body's "stress
thermostat," which is high during traumatic events, breaks, and stress hormones continue to
pump into a child's body (Gutierrez, 2019). The impact of early trauma can be invisible but have
profound impacts on health and development over the lifetime of a child. As previously stated,
ensuring that children build healthy attachment styles are sound predictors of their future
outcomes. As stated by Khazan (2015), in The Atlantic, securely attached kids are confident and
intrepid; the insecurely attached fall to pieces under pressure.
The theory of change assumes, when attention is placed in accordance with the principles
of serving families, the result will be an effective program that will prioritize the needs and
perspectives of preschoolers and their parents. Initial outcomes primarily include changes in
parents’ knowledge and attitudes. Intermediate and long-term outcomes encompass changes in
parenting behavior and outcomes, and in child outcomes. The health and well-being of a parent
21
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
are inextricably linked to the health and well-being of the child. The quality of the parent-child
relationship has a profound impact on a child's awareness of self and others, social and emotional
development, and school adjustment (Guaarino & Bassuk, 2010). Parents' initial outcomes would
incorporate changes in the parents' knowledge and skills. In contrast, the long-term outcomes
would include actual changes in parenting behaviors, the ability to play and relate to their child,
and possible benefits of improved mental health. Preschoolers' outcomes may be more notable as
long-term outcomes in the domains of early cognitive and language development, social and
emotional development such as self-regulation, interpersonal skills, and self-soothing. Outcomes
could be measured in many ways. The logic model identifies outcomes for both children and
parents. The measurement of outcomes may include parental interviews, observations during
workshop setting, and assessments by the trained professionals/students through the use of such
measures as PICCOLO (see Appendix B) and SEAM (see Appendix C). Parenting Interactions
with Child: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes (PICCOLO), is a tool that was
developed for use with parents and looks at affection, responsiveness, encouragement, and
teaching to rate the value of a parent-child bond (Bayoğlu, Unal, Elibol, Karabulut & Innocenti,
2013). The Social-Emotional Assessment/Evaluation Measure (SEAM), is an assessment that
focuses on the social-emotional development of young children (Ages & Stages, n.d.). SEAM
provides insight to not only the developer of the program to continue to build activities but also
to the parents. It provides comprehensive information that can prevent problems by building and
fostering partnerships with families and enhancing positive parent-child interactions (Ages &
Stages, n.d.).
Problems of Practice and Solution/Innovation
22
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
The need for preschoolers to foster a bond with their parents is an integral part of their
development. Helping society see the unspoken reality of homelessness as trauma is an essential
key to creating and addressing change amongst preschoolers and their parents. R4S will consist
of activities designed to strengthen family bonds, empower parents, increase positive and
effective communication, and improve the preschooler’s overall emotional functioning and
future academic performance. It will operate under the conviction that homeless parents can be
their preschooler’s primary teacher and nurturer of their child. R4S will consist of a training
program made up of individual seminars and training with parents and preschoolers both
together and apart. The program will support the family's well-being, advocacy by addressing
best practices in brain development, identify critical aspects of early childhood development
(cognitive, language, physical, and social/emotional), enhance early literacy, educate parent
leadership, and plan for family success. It will utilize trained paraprofessionals and students
enrolled in social work as well as marriage and family therapy programs to run these sessions
and empower parents to gain the skills and confidence they need to guide and motivate their
preschoolers while reducing conflict. In turn, these children will be able to feel empowered and
secure, which will enhance their ability to build strong relationships. This program will also
incorporate the use of trained professionals, possibly those enrolled in early child development
who can identify appropriate child development and, if needed, refer to the regional center for
services. There is a significantly higher proportion of homeless children experiencing
developmental and social-emotional delays than those who are not homeless, and many of them
go unnoticed (Davis & Compton, 2008). Overall, R4S's primary function is to ensure the healthy
relationship between parents and their child despite the immediate stressors surrounding them.
23
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Every seminar will begin with parents and children engaging in an activity together as a
unit. These activities will consist of drawing, painting, storytelling, and games, which will help
build cohesiveness and provide for learning opportunities for parents who may not be aware of
how to play with their child, particularly given the stressors that come with being homeless. The
seminars will consist of activities that will help reinforce the importance of reciprocity, ritual,
and the importance of bonding. There will also be opportunities during some training in which
parents will have the ability to receive psychoeducation on how to praise their child, provide
effective parenting, and learn about child development. R4S will utilize the model of Triple P-
Positive Parent Program, which is a multi-level system of parenting and family support. By
normalizing the challenges of parenting and changing how parents view and react to their child's
behaviors, the program attempts to reduce child behavior problems and teach healthy parenting
(Child Trends, 2016). Through the creator's knowledge and training with this and other evidence-
based practices, the feasibility of bringing on BSW and MSW students would be of great benefit.
R4S will be led by a team of social workers, educators, and innovators who will empower
parents and connect families to homeless resources. This collaborative team will be culturally
and ethnically representative of the families participating in the program.
Lastly, R4S will consist of a coffee corner for parents. This coffee corner will allow
parents an opportunity to relate to other individuals that may be experiencing the same trauma.
During this time, preschoolers will have their social corner apart from their parents, who will
improve their ability to socialize and relate to other children their age. Currently, there are not
many opportunities given to homeless parents to be able to express their stories or share
resources. In a shelter setting, families are focused on the "here and now," and therefore are
unable to relate or nonetheless, have a coffee break (Khazan, 2015). R4S must remain within its
24
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
ability to serve as a preventative program to build the parent-child bond but also to help act as a
vehicle through which parents can share their stories and experiences. Having programmatic
opportunities for children and families to share their stories in safe, affirming ways could be a
means of making people who are often marginalized and ignored by society feel seen and heard
(Gehner, 2005). As we already know, people crave the sense of being heard; those who are
homeless or with unstable housing may need that much more as most of their lives involve
struggles to avoid attention.
Reaching for the Sky within Ensuring Healthy Development for Youth
The vision for this proposed program is to change the way society views homelessness.
Additionally, there would be a new understanding that homelessness is traumatic for
preschoolers and their parents. That there should also be a new behavior derived from the new
understanding that homelessness is traumatic for children and can impact their ability to build
secure relationships. Preschoolers experiencing homelessness also experience trauma and face
multiple effects from it. It should be society's priority to help our young children overcome these
obstacles and to build strong relationships with their parents, which will later impact their ability
to relate to others.
One way of working towards increasing the parent-child bond is through the proposed
innovation of Reaching 4 the Sky. R4S aligns with the grand challenge of ensuring the healthy
development of youth through their strategy of unleashing the power of prevention. The idea of
this strategy is that early intervention will prevent long-term behavioral problems, as addressed
earlier in this paper. The overall benefit and challenge would be that this proposed innovation
becomes part of the power of prevention on a nationwide scale. An identified benefit is for this
program to become part of libraries not just in LA County but throughout the United States. The
25
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
expected change to arise is from a change in how people, agencies, and society view
homelessness. For homelessness to be seen as not just a housing crisis but as a traumatic event
for young children, and the impact it has on the parent-child bond. When children and families
experience a traumatic event such as homelessness, they become vulnerable, and parents go into
flight or fight mode, which can then inhibit their ability to effectively build a bond with their
child (Winston & Chicot, 2016). The hope for R4S is that it becomes a program that serves as a
preventative measure on a child's future success. That with early intervention with the parent and
child, the preschooler can learn to develop the necessary coping skills to build an appropriate and
secure relationship with their parent and later in life with their friends and partners.
Local Contextual Environment
R4S will be placed within what has been considered a safe gathering place for children
and families, the library. It exists from the civilization of humanity and acts as the important
custodian of human culture, knowledge, and social customs (Sasi, 2014). A public library is a
welfare center that provides useful services to the community by fostering education, promoting
culture, providing scope for healthy recreation, and disseminating information to all sections of
society (Sharun, 2016). Using the strength of libraries to help repair the problem of attachment is
essential to help reach as many homeless preschoolers and their parents. Placing this program in
a public library places a collective responsibility on society as a whole. It allows for a free
resource to be accessible for families in an already used resource for homeless families. For
many people experiencing homelessness, libraries can be a sanctuary as well as a place in which
to engage in activities around literacy and learning (Biando, Rauseo, & Unger, 2013). A public
library catalyzes communities and plays an integral role in the success of this program.
Multiple Stakeholders
26
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
From a multiple stakeholder perspective, this proposed innovation will make connections
with not just libraries but with agencies such as First 5 LA where their vision is to have healthy
children who are born into safe, loving, and nurturing environments (First 5 LA, n.d.). First 5
LA's vision is in line with that of R4S, their ability to want to share in this innovation may be one
that may pose to be lucrative as there is much work that is being done in the area of preschool
homelessness. A relationship with public libraries can act as a resource and provide assistance in
securing those basic needs. Other relationships may include connections to head start programs
through Los Angeles County of Education, or local representatives such as McKinney-Vento
liaisons. Connecting liaisons with libraries may be an effective way to link families to a broader
network of resources and support, which can impact the success rate for R4S.
In addition to connecting people to programs, services, and resources, outreach also
serves an important purpose: it personalizes the library and gives people a face and name to
connect to. Through the collaborative efforts of multiple agencies with R4S, there could be an
advancement with parents and children's ability to build a bond and sense of community. In Los
Angeles County, a lead agency that provides a continuum of care is LA Homeless Services
Authority (LAHSA), who coordinates housing and services for homeless families and
individuals (LAHSA, n.d.). While this agency is focused more on addressing the imminent
needs of families such as housing, a partnership with R4S would be essential to attempt to
become part of their referral process once a family is housed. LAHSA, like other housing
agencies benefit stakeholders to help families obtain housing and shelter so they may then
commence the work of learning to build a safe and secure relationship with their preschoolers.
Agencies such as Volunteers of America (VOA), who work with 1.5 million people in over 400
communities, are dedicated to helping families through the use of inclusive programs and
27
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
services (VOA, n.d.). Due to the vision of VOA, they provide services such as preschool,
rehabilitative services, rapid re-housing services, and daycares; however, a program such as R4S
would be in alignment with their overall desire to help children and their families. Given the
stakeholders identified, the main goal for all which coincides with the proposed innovation is
that there is an improvement and ability to create a social connection that will help remove
barriers that can negatively impact a child's development.
Success. R4S success will be dependent on multiple factors, including the use of
crowdfunding, advertising/networking, and application of grants. To maintain the vitality of this
program, it would be essential to continue showing the need and success of the program through
the use of assessments such as PICCOLO. If this program can help even a few parents and
preschoolers foster a closer bond, then it has done its job. The primary goal and overall impact
for this program to grow and expand to other libraries across the county and possibly the nation.
Helping parents and preschoolers reach for the sky will hopefully end the cyclical pattern of
trauma that homelessness exhibits and help parents develop and maintain a bond with their child
that will ensure their success for the future. The likelihood of success for R4S will be high, given
that many programs in place require a long-term commitment; homeless families may solely
benefit from one session attendance. The set-up and delivery of this program will allow for
maximum learning to occur in one session, so that parents may be able to take this along with
them.
Project Structure, Methodology, and Action Components
Utilizing a journey map (See Appendix D), was an effective way of being able to present
the end-user experience. It was a way of walking the reader through the exact moment of when
the information about the program is received, when the decision to sign up is made,
28
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
participating, feedback, and the vitality of the program. The prototype developed was intended to
assist the developer in fine-tuning the desired outcomes, goals, and possible phases of the
capstone roll out. It was meant to comprehend what the user will experience and to help the
developer improve the attributes and characteristics of the family's experience, to ensure
consistency, and to provide a seamless experience at all touchpoints and throughout all channels
for the program development.
Prototype methodology. The process template utilized was a practical and informative
way of being able to map out not just the experience of the users but also identified goals,
problems, expectations, and to determine if the program designed is mainly focused on
assumptions versus reality and research literature. The developer determined that conducting a
qualitative review of the literature would provide a better approach of not only identifying the
problem but defining the impact the proposed innovation would have. It cleared the way to create
a journey map of the observed and collected data. The developer used firsthand user interviews
to uncover the needs of the expected users. It served as a way of determining the usefulness of
the program. Direct observations were also conducted, which included visits to low-income
libraries to determine the usefulness and functionality of libraries, as that is where the program
will be housed. These observations were also utilized as a way of studying parental engagement
with preschool-aged children. Once this information was collected, the developer was better able
to determine that mapping out the user experience while also identifying the measures, goals,
problems, and visually creating a storyboard would give life to the program. It provided a lens of
which to see the program from a simplistic approach.
Comparative Market Analysis
29
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
In the field of social work, mental health, and education, homeless students are
addressed through the use of head start programs, evidence-based practices, and
housing/educational resources; however, little is being done with building the most basic
support; parent-child relationship. This section will briefly analyze current programs that are
working on repairing the parent-child bond. It will look at home visitation programs, evidence-
based therapeutic interventions, and public library offerings.
In-Home Programs
Currently, there are programs designed through LA County and other states and counties
to provide in-home services to families and children. There are many advantages associated with
in-home supportive services; families do not have to leave their home; therefore, they may be
more prone to receive the services, parents are involved with the educator and may be better able
to ask a question one-on-one versus in a group setting and the educators can analyze the home
environment and determine the different levels of needs. However, as there are advantages to in-
home programs, there are also disadvantages. While these services seem beneficial as they may
reach a high number of families, there are limitations and weaknesses to their design and
delivery of services. According to Herkert (2008), there are concerns with overstaffing,
caseloads, and use of evaluation that may impede the effectiveness of home visiting programs in
meeting the goal of reducing risks of child maltreatment.
Evidence-Based Therapeutic Models
Various interventions are used in clinical practice to address insecure or disorganized
attachment patterns and attachment disorders. According to one study, the use of parent-child
therapy (PCT) programs have been efficacious for the treatment of externalizing behaviors in
early childhood. Programs such as Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT; Corcoran, 2003) and
30
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
the Incredible Years Parenting Program (IYP; Webster-Stratton, 1992) have strong empirical
support for the treatment of behavioral problems in younger children (Harris, Fox & Love,
2015). Although there is noted success with PCIT and other evidence-based practices, there are
also identified weaknesses to these programs. The number of sessions can vary based on a
family's ethnic background, the rate of attrition, and the number of families discontinuing
services is noted to be significant. Research has found that poverty is positively related to higher
drop-out rates (Harris, Fox & Love, 2015). According to Matos, Torres, Santiago, Jurado &
Rodriguez (2006), the rates of attrition have ranged from 10% to 69%. There are a variety of
reasons for a family dropping out of therapeutic services, including the feeling that they are
being labeled or unable to grasp the content of the material. Contextual factors, such as lack of
reliable transportation, loss of phone services, distance from service providers, difficulty keeping
appointments, and frequent relocation, most often contribute to early dropout (Kruzich, Jivanjee,
Robinson, & Friesen, 2003).
Library systems.
Although the use of technology has taken over, libraries continue to be an important
aspect of information and learning. Libraries throughout LA County offer multiple classes
starting with reading for young children, tutoring services for school-aged children, and even
services for adults such as tax services and resume building. Given all these positive attributes,
the current library system within LA County does present some weaknesses, for example, many
of the classes/workshops that are offered to preschoolers eliminate the parents, "many libraries
sponsor programs for this age group (preschoolers), and parents generally do not need to stay
with their kids throughout these events" (U.S. Department of Education, n.d.).
31
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Despite all the efforts to address preschool homelessness and improving the parent-child
relationship, there is still much work to be done. The agencies and programs discussed, while
helpful, still provide hindrances and exclusions to address parents and their children. It is
important to note that although all preschoolers may not be helped in a uniform way of service
delivery, social workers and educators must come up with innovative and new ways to help these
families. They must look at new and motivating ways to help increase their ability to improve the
relationship between parents and children in order to further build keen students for the future.
Project Implementation
The proposed solution will utilize a multifaceted strategy such as educational/play
workshops, training, partnerships, in addition to clinical supervision and advisory boards.
Utilizing a multi-level, four-phase model of the implementation process, EPIS (Exploration,
Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment), we will take a look at the implementation guideline
(See Appendix I & J).
Exploration. During this stage, the developer looked at the current contextual climate, society’s
readiness for change, engagement with current leaders focusing on the issue of homelessness and
early intervention and explored funding opportunities. Forming partnerships and taking on a
coopetition mindset would help partner and expand the purpose of this program, which is to help
families. Researching funding possibilities with agencies such as First 5, are helpful as they are one
of the pioneers of early intervention. Moreover, some of their new programs may be investing in the
exact thing that R4S is hoping to tackle but at much more reasonable operating costs as it will be
housed within a free community resource, the library.
Preparation. During this stage, the developer looked at the fidelity of the model that will be
intended for use. The pre/post assessment, and the Family Strengths & Needs Assessment (See
Appendix K-M) created by the developer were finalized during this stage. It will be important to
32
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
contact several funding streams as well as reaching out to the public library system and submitting a
proposal in order to house this program. During this stage, the developer will look into staffing, start
reaching out to universities and look at the different evidence-based training models that will be
utilized. Utilizing transformational leadership as a means to encourage, inspire, and motivate the
employees and students will be critical to innovate and create change that will help grow and shape
the success of this innovation. Since the program will first launch as a pilot, the train-the-trainer
modality will be implemented to save money. In the preparation stage, resources needed for
implementation will be collected, such as training materials, handouts, and brochures that will be
utilized to advertise the program.
Implementation. R4S’s pilot program will launch August 2020. The key focus during this stage will
be to ensure that the measures being collected are examining the outcomes to determine if this
program has the anticipated effects. Before going live, the developer will ensure that all students
have received the full dose of training and that the needed materials (toys, equipment) have been
gathered. Monitoring service delivery and setting up feedback sessions will be necessary during this
stage to confirm that training for parents is being executed correctly. Meeting with the students for
the required weekly supervision will also help eliminate any errors in delivery. During this time,
setting up feedback sessions with students will be helpful in order to discuss any concerns with
program delivery.
Sustainment. During this stage, ensuring that system policy, community collaboration, continued
training, and impact is measured will all be essential steps needed to sustain the success of the
program. The policies and funding needed for the program will come from leaders who believe in the
same vision as R4S. Leadership plays an important role in the overall vitality and sustainment of this
program. In order to address the potential barrier of staff retention, there must be a good leader in
place to help strategize, mentor, and participate in the overall decision making. Sustainability is
likely to be more successful when placed in an organizational culture that values EBP’s and has
33
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
leadership that facilitates team participation and psychological safety (Guarino, 2013). This step will
be ongoing; however, after the pilot completion, the developer will have a focus group with interns
and discuss ways of continued support. The focus groups will commence in October 2020 and will
help support the scale-up and launch of the first year of the program.
Financial Plan and Implementation.
R4S will look at numerous sources of funding to start its pilot program and to continue
building its ability to have simultaneous cohorts throughout the year. R4S will be a nonprofit
organization looking to serve the needs of homeless preschoolers and their parent(s) while
paying close attention to attachment. Currently, some ideas for revenue strategies are alignment
with pre-existing agencies that serve a similar population, crowdfunding, fundraising, donations,
corporate sponsors, and grants. See Appendix O & P for the first year of operations budget.
Revenue Projections
Pilot Program
Its initial pilot program (See Appendix N) in 2020 will require roughly $7280, for
training materials, professional development, advertising, supplies, and filing as a 501(c) (3)
organization. The primary sources of revenue will be individual contributions, Go FundMe,
Corporate Contributions, and Government Grants, which will total roughly $12,000. Once
expenses are deducted, there will be a surplus of $3,320.
Individual Contributions. For the pilot program, the number of donations estimated is $1,000.
This will be obtained by first creating a website and adding the function of obtaining donations
online via PayPal. It will be necessary for R4S to align its vision and mission with individuals
that share in the same beliefs of helping and improving the lives and relationships of homeless
preschoolers and their parents. In this current environmental climate where homelessness is at
the forefront of LA Times it would be essential to utilize social media to advertise.
34
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Corporate Contributions. The number estimated for corporate contributions is $500. The
number is set lower as it may be more challenging to obtain large amounts of corporate funding
for a new program without having identified success. The developer of this program will need to
create letters for fundraising appeals and provide detailed information about this program, which
may be more effective once the pilot program has been completed and there is reliable data to
show the impact and success of the program. During this pilot stage, it would be important for
R4S to attempt to obtain in-kind support, like donated goods and gift cards.
GoFundMe. GoFundMe has become a successful way of obtaining funding from the community
and serves as a useful way to crowdfund (Bond, 2018). The amount estimated to obtain will be
$500. It will be important to utilize Facebook, for example, to spread the word about a
GoFundMe account to help homeless preschoolers foster a bond with their parent. Having others
share the account by using hashtags in social media would help spread the word. However, due
to the program being new and only in a pilot setting, individuals may be hesitant to donate
without factual data on the level of success.
Government Grant(s). R4S during its initial pilot stage will apply for a grant with LA County
Department of Mental Health. The developer of R4S has spoken with the previous director of
DMH, Dr. Marvin Southard, and he encouraged the developer to contact DMH to inquire about
funding through PEI's. LA County DMH is highly involved in its Prevention and Early
Intervention (PEI) funding and collaborates with CalMHSA (California Mental Health Services
Authority). CalMHSA, a Joint Powers Authority, is an independent administrative and fiscal
government agency focused on the efficient delivery of California mental health projects for its
members, including Los Angeles County (CalMHSA, n.d.). Currently, the identified revenue for
the pilot program is $10,000.
35
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Stakeholders
Internal. Key internal stakeholders that will be impacted by this program will be the board of
directors, students that are looking to obtain hours, volunteers, the employees, and the program
developer. These key stakeholders will influence the budget planning and overall gathering of
funding in order to make R4S successful. The board of directors will play a key decision-making
role in this non-profit as they will oversee the use of funding and ensure that funds are
appropriately being allocated. The students in both social work, education development, and
marriage family therapy will be relevant stakeholders as they will be considered the frontline for
this program. These students in the pilot stage will help keep costs low as there will not be
financial payment, but rather the developer of the program who is licensed will be able to
clinically sign off on their hours thus, keeping costs low for the initial launch phase. Once
success has been attained, the program will look into hiring staff in addition to having student
interns. The ability to utilize students will involve making connections with graduate programs
and community colleges to help "spread the word" that this non-profit is functional and also
serving those in need.
External. The external stakeholders for R4S will consist of county/government agencies,
librarians, non-profit community agencies, the clients of the program, funders, society, and the
communities in which the program will be held. These stakeholders will significantly contribute
to the vitality of this program and the ability to keep it running and serving preschoolers and
their families. The public library system will be the entity where this program will be housed.
However, the librarians will be the individuals that will also play a role in the success of this
program and contribute to the organizational structure. Librarians will indirectly play a vital role
as they will provide information to families that may be interested in services, may take the
frontline calls about the workshop series, and will help families sign up for library cards.
36
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Communication Strategies & Products
The collected data will be shared with key stakeholders and collaborators in order to
prove the validity of the program and to further obtain funding. Engaging stakeholders that
reflect the diversity of the community will be essential to this program's evaluation procedure. It
will be important to identify diversity among the stakeholders and to understand that cultural
differences go beyond traditional demographic characteristics. It will be essential for the
developer to talk to community leaders and to become familiar with the community and assess
their readiness and willingness to tackle this grand challenge. Cultural competence for this
project will help provide important strategies for approaching an evaluation with an analytical
cultural lens to ensure that evaluation efforts have cultural relevance and generate meaningful
findings that stakeholders ultimately will value and use. Having the needed numbers and success
rate will further assist in the credibility of the program and to the overall success and sign-up
rate. Once the first pilot program is completed, it would be important to disseminate this
information to the referral sources as a way to boost participation and sign-ups. The
dissemination would consist of a newsletter as well as documented findings. A significant
finding would be one where the parent can identify a change in their behavior due to the acquired
skills as well as a final observation where the clinicians can observe the family engaged and the
child can effectively relate to their parent.
Ethical Considerations
Ethical considerations were and continue to be an important aspect of R4S, and the
ability to take into account possible negative consequences is essential to the overall growth and
expansion of this program. Some considerations include written informed consent for the parent,
limits of confidentiality, (See Appendix Q) and an understanding that services are entirely
37
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
voluntary, and parents may discontinue at any time without repercussions. Additional
considerations include the storing of assessments, reports, and that students/volunteers are aware
of confidentiality clauses and are bound by the Code of Ethics. R4S will utilize password
protected files, utilize lockboxes to transport any files (if needed), and utilize as many electronic
secured forms to avoid transporting of family files and information. To mitigate any adverse
consequences, R4S will provide extensive training to staff in addition to what students in the
field of social work, and counseling psychology may be already exposed to. Upon the use of
supplemental staff, they will undergo rigorous legal and ethical training in addition to child
abuse reporting training to diminish any possible negative consequences.
Conclusions, Actions, and Implications
Building strong relationships with children has always been considered the foundation for
families, yet there continues to be a disconnect and ongoing cyclical pattern with the rise of
emotional disturbances in children. Ensuring that young children (specifically preschoolers)
develop a secure attachment results in a positive impact on their future mental, physical, social,
and emotional health. Utilizing the library systems to implement R4S, is an invaluable resource
to families, children, and the community. Through the use of library systems, there can be a
sense of belonging and rapport building not just with the parent-child relationship but with other
individuals in the community. There have been multiple efforts through the use of therapeutic
models, and in-home visitation programs, yet they all lack the critical component of utilizing
more neutral themes to avoid parents feeling judged or guilty for being homeless. Incorporating a
program within the library system will incite a sense of community building that is also an
important piece to build a strong bond between the parent and child. Families are the bedrock of
38
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
society and incorporating R4S into libraries can increase the function of support to families,
specifically families of preschoolers.
Project Implications for Practice and Further Action
While the development of this program will not reach every homeless parent and
preschooler, it will be able to address families that may not have been otherwise addressed or too
afraid to use other services. The expectation is that this innovative program design will address
the problem of poor parent-child relationship building in homeless families. The continued hope
is that society’s definition and view of homelessness also incorporates trauma at the forefront.
Reaching 4 the Sky will have to meet multiple process and outcome goals in order to
remain a successful agency. The goal for this program is to reach as many families possible
while helping them develop and maintain a secure attachment. Some process objectives include
at least an 85% participation in sign-ups through the course of the programs and that the
identified families participate in the program. That families attend at least 3 out of the 5
workshop offerings during the one-hour timeframe. Moreover, a minimum of 12 families
participate in the program at a time. Outcomes objectives for this program are that at least 80%
of families who attend this program and participants will report on the surveys that they feel
more comfortable relating to their child. Also, the number of parents and preschoolers who sign
up will increase in the first year by at least 15%. The hope for this program is that community
knowledge about the importance of parent-child bonding is increased by 75% and that R4S can
continue to do its part in bringing awareness.
Limitations
The proposed innovation currently fits into the current values of society, which is to
address the problem of homelessness. While the focus is not on reducing the number of people
39
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
on the street, the goal is to help young children develop into secure adults and thus prevent the
cycle of homelessness. Interventions that are most effective in meeting goals and also fit with
other administrative and practice needs such as record-keeping and productivity requirements are
most likely to facilitate effective implementation. To help with funding the proposed innovation,
it will be important to conduct advocacy in the realm of child development and again to provide
psychoeducation on the basic principles of attachment theory. Client advocacy plays a role in the
ultimate decision to adopt innovative service models. Under the Mental Health Service Act, it
would be beneficial to continue to advocate for the prevention and early intervention programs,
such as the proposed innovation, in order to help prevent the onset of mental illness and related
negative consequences. To help sustain this innovation and ensure funding, leadership must also
be sustained across service systems. The policies and funding needed for the program typically
follow from leaders who believe in the same vision as R4S. Strong, enigmatic leadership may be
required to create the conditions, utilizing transformational leadership as a means to encourage,
inspire, and motivate the employees and students will be critical to innovate and create change
that will help grow and shape the success of this innovation. Society must be ready to change
their mindset, which may be a barrier as many individuals believe that housing should come first
and may struggle with the idea of wanting to help homeless preschoolers address attachment and
bonding.
Next Steps
Advancing R4S into local public libraries will require belief in not only the vision and
mission of this proposed program but also through the collaboration with multiple stakeholders
and the community. The continued support from established relationships such as that with Early
Head Start and potential collaborations with Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE)
40
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
can prove to be a fruitful partnership that can ensure the overall success and establishment of
R4S. The collected data will be shared with key stakeholders and collaborators in order to prove
the validity of the program and to further obtain funding. Engaging stakeholders that reflect the
diversity of the community will be essential to this program’s evaluation procedure. It will be
important to identify diversity among the stakeholders and to understand that cultural differences
go beyond traditional demographic characteristics. It will be essential for the developer to talk to
community leaders and to become familiar with the community and assess their readiness and
willingness to tackle this grand challenge. Cultural competence for this project will help provide
important strategies for approaching an evaluation with an analytical cultural lens to ensure that
evaluation efforts have cultural relevance and generate meaningful findings that stakeholders
ultimately will value and use. Having the needed numbers and success rate will further assist in
the credibility of the program and to the overall success and sign-up rate. R4S’s success and
ability to transform, renovate, and change will also come into play, given the changes in society.
The ability to accommodate societal changes will be a vital component of the success and vitality
of this program. Looking into technological advances, web portals, and virtual classrooms may
be a consideration for the program if changes to the community were to evolve.

41
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
References
Administration for Children Families: Early Childhood Homelessness. (2018).
Retrieved from
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ecd/homelessness_profile_package_with_blan
ks_for_printing_508.pdf
Ages and Stages Questionnaires. SEAM. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://agesandstages.com/products-pricing/seam/
American Psychological Association (n.d.). Effects of poverty, hunger, homelessness on children
and youth. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/pi/families/poverty
Bassuk, E. L. (1990). Who are the homeless families? Characteristics of shelter mothers and
children. Community Mental Health Journal, 26(5), 425-433.
https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00761069
Bassuk, E. L., & Beardslee, W. R. (2014). Depression in homeless mothers: Addressing an
unrecognized public health issue. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 84(1), 73-81.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0098949
Bassuk, E.L., & Friedman, S. (2005). Facts on trauma and homeless children Retrieved from:
https://www.theotx.org/wpcontent/uploads/2016/02/Facts_on_Trauma_and_Homeless_C
hildren.pdf
Bayoğlu, B., Unal, Ö., Elibol, F., Karabulut, E., & Innocenti, M. (2013). Turkish Validation of
the PICCOLO (Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to
Outcomes. Infant Mental Health Journal, 34(4), 330–338.
https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.21393
Biando, J., Rauseo, M., & Unger, K. (2013). Community centered: 23 reasons why your library
42
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
is the most important place in town. Retrieved from
http://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/04/community-centered-23-reasons-why-your-
library-is-the-most-important-place-in-town/
Bond, J. (2018). How to Set Up a GoFundMe and Raise Money When You Need It
Most. Retrieved from https://www.dailydot.com/debug/how-to-set-up-gofundme/
Brumley, B., Fantuzzo, J., Perlman, S., & Zager, M. L. (2015). The unique relations between
early homelessness and educational well-being: An empirical test of the continuum of
risk hypothesis. Children and Youth Services Review, 48, 31–37.
doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.11.012
Center on the Developing Child (2007). The Science of Early Childhood Development (InBrief).
Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu.
Chen, Y.-C., & Fortson, B. L. (2015). Predictors of treatment attrition and treatment length in
parent‐child interaction therapy in Taiwanese families. Children and Youth Services
Review, 59, 28–37. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.10.009
Cherry, K. (2019). Who are Bowlby & Ainsworth and what is attachment theory? Retrieved
from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-attachment-theory-2795337
Child Trends (2016). Triple P-Positive Parenting Program. Retrieved from
https://www.childtrends.org/programs/triple-p-positive-parenting-program
Corcoran, J. (2003). Behavioral parent training with oppositional defiant disorder. Clinical
Applications of Evidence-Based Family Interventions, 36–55.
doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195149524.003.0002
Cotter, A., Wilsie, C., & Brestan-Knight, E. (2018). Parent–child interaction therapy for
families with a history of child maltreatment. Handbook of Parent-Child Interaction
43
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Therapy, 45–70. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-97698-3_4
David, D. H., Gelberg, L., & Suchman, N. E. (2012). Implications of homelessness for parenting
young children: A preliminary review from a developmental attachment perspective.
Infant Mental Health Journal, 33(1), 1–9. doi:10.1002/imhj.20333
Davis, N., & Compton, D. L. (2008). Falling through the cracks: Children who are exceptions to
the RTI identification process. Perspectives on language learning and education, 15(1),
41. doi:10.1044/lle15.1.41
DeCandia, C.J. (2012). Designing developmentally based services for young homeless families.
The National Center on Family Homelessness. Needham, MA. Retrieved from:
https://www.issuelab.org/resources/27476/27476.pdf
Deck, S. M. (2016). School outcomes for homeless children: differences among sheltered,
doubled-up, and poor, housed children. Journal of Children and Poverty, 23(1), 57–77.
doi:10.1080/10796126.2016.1247347
Department of Mental Health. (n.d.). First 5 LA parent-child interaction therapy. Retrieved from
https://dmh.lacounty.gov/our-services/children/first-5-la/
Du, Y., & Martin, R. (2016). Small libraries, big impact : how to better serve your community in
the digital age . Santa Barbara, California ;: Libraries Unlimited.
Early Learning: Enriching library services (n.d.). Retrieved from http://elf2.library.ca.gov/

El Nido Family Centers (n.d.). What We Do. Retrieved from
https://www.elnidofamilycenters.org/what-we-do/
Fantuzzo, J., Leboeuf, W., Brumley, B., & Perlman, S. (2013). A population-based inquiry of
homeless episode characteristics and early educational well-being. Children and youth
services review, 35(6), 966-972. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.02.016
44
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
First 5 Association of California, First 5 investments in home visiting. (2014). Retrieved from
http://first5association.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ Home visiting-investments-
2014.pdf.
Gehner, J. (2005). Poverty, poor people, and our priorities. (Community
buiding). Reference & User Services Quarterly, 45(2), 117–121.
Gewirtz, A., Burkhart, K., Loehman, J., & Haukebo, B. (2013). Research on programs designed
to support positive parenting. Supporting families experiencing homelessness, 173–186.
doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-8718-0_9
Golden, S., & Earp, J. (2012). Social ecological approaches to individuals and their contexts:
Twenty years of “Health Education & Behavior” Health Promotion Interventions. Health
Education & Behavior, 39(3), 364–372. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198111418634
Guarino, K., & Bassuk, E. (2010). Working with families experiencing homelessness:
Understanding trauma and its impact. Retrieved from
https://perspectives.waimh.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2017/05/5-Working-with-
Families-Experiencing-Homelessness.-Understanding-Trauma-and-its-Impact.pdf
Guarino, K. M. (2013). Trauma-Informed Care for Families Experiencing Homelessness.
Supporting Families Experiencing Homelessness, 121–143. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-
8718-0_7
Gutierrez, M. (2019). Toxic stress in children is a top issue, state official says. Retrieved from
https://enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=659c7bc3-9350-4755-
95af-fa91e0995aa4
Harris, S., Fox, R., & Love, J. (2015). Early pathways therapy for young children in poverty: A
45
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
randomized controlled trial. Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation, 6(1), 3–17.
https://doi.org/10.1177/2150137815573628
Harvey, K. (2013). Bonding and Attachment. Retrieved from
https://www.parentchildcenter.org/bonding-and-attachment/
Haskett, M., Montgomery, J., & Tisdale, J. (2015). Developmental
status and social–emotional functioning of young children experiencing homelessness.
Early Childhood Education Journal, 44(2), 119–125. doi:10.1007/s10643-015-0691-8
Hawkins, J. D., J. M. Jenson, R. Catalano, M. W. Fraser, G. J. Botvin, V. Shapiro, C. H. Brown,
W. Beardslee, D. Brent, L. K. Leslie, M. J. Rotheram-Borus, P. Shea, A. Shih, E.
Anthony, K. P. Haggerty, K. Bender, D. Gorman-Smith, E. Casey, and S. Stone. (2015).
Unleashing the power of prevention. NAM Perspectives. Discussion Paper, National
Academy of Medicine, Washington, DC. doi: 10.31478/201506c
Herkert, M. (2008). Strengths and limitations of home visiting to prevent child maltreatment
by teen parents. Retrieved from https://www.ssa.uchicago.edu/strengths-and-limitations-
home-visiting-prevent-child-maltreatment-teen-parents
Herschell, A. D., Calzada, E. J., Eyberg, S. M., & McNeil, C. B. (2002). Parent-child interaction
therapy: New directions in research. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 9(1), 9-15.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1077-7229(02)80034-7
Holmes, C., Levy, M., Smith, A., Pinne, S., & Neese, P. (2015). A model for creating a
supportive trauma-informed culture for children in preschool settings. Journal of Child
and Family Studies, 24(6), 1650–1659. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-9968-6
Jiang, Y., Ekono, M., & Skinner, C. (2014). Basic facts about low income children: Children
46
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
under 6 years, 2012. New York, NY: National Center for Children in Poverty. Retrieved
from: http://www.nccp.org/ publications/pub_1088.html
Khazan, O. (2015). Parenting while homeless. Retrieved from
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/12/the-hardest-job/419166/
Kruzich, J. M., Jivanjee, P., Robinson, A., & Friesen, B. J. (2003). Family caregivers’
perceptions of barriers to and supports of participation in their children’s out-of-home
treatment. Psychiatric Services, 54, 1513– 1518. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.54.11.1513
Lindsey, E. (1998). The Impact of Homelessness and Shelter Life on Family
Relationships. Family Relations, 47(3), 243–252. https://doi.org/10.2307/584973
Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) About LAHSA. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.lahsa.org/about
Matos M, Torres R, Santiago R, Jurado M, Rodriguez I. (2006). Adaptation of parent-child
interaction therapy for Puerto Rican families: A preliminary study. Family process, 45(2),
205–222. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2006.00091.x
Mccrae, J., & Brown, S. (2018). Systematic review of social–emotional screening instruments
for young children in child welfare. Research on Social Work Practice, 28(7), 767–788.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731516686691
Miller, Peter M. (2009). Boundary spanning in homeless children’s education: Notes from an
Emergent Faculty Role in Pittsburgh. Educational Administration Quarterly 45(4): 616–
630. doi: 10.1177/0013161X09333622
Molnar, J. M., Rath, W. R., & Klein, T. P. (1990). Constantly compromised: The impact of
homelessness on children. Journal of Social Issues, 46(4), 109–124. doi:10.1111/j.1540-
4560.1990.tb01801.x
47
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Müller, J., Achtergarde, S., Frantzmann, H., Steinberg, K., Skorozhenina, O., Beyer, T.,
Postert, C. (2013). Inter-rater reliability and aspects of validity of the parent-infant
relationship global assessment scale (PIR-GAS). Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and
Mental Health, 7(1), 17. https://doi.org/10.1186/1753-2000-7-17
National Alliance to End Homeless: The State of Homelessness in America. (n.d.). Retrieved
from https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-
of-homelessness-report/
National Center on Family Homelessness. (2009). America’s youngest outcasts: State report
card on child homelessness. Retrieved from
https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/downloads/report/Americas-Youngest-Outcasts-
Child-Homelessness-Nov2014.pdf
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (2018). About Child Trauma. Retrieved from
https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/about-child-trauma
Perlman, S., Cowan, B., Gewirtz, A., Haskett, M., & Stokes, L. (2012). Promoting positive
parenting in the context of homelessness. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 82(3),
402–412. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-0025.2012.01158.x
Prather, W., & Golden, J. (2009). A behavioral perspective of childhood trauma and attachment
issues: toward alternative treatment approaches for children with a history of abuse. The
International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 5(2), 222–241.
https://doi.org/10.1037/h0100883
Robinson, D. (1997). Family stress theory: Implications for family health. Journal of the
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 9(1), 17–24. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-
7599.1997.tb01268.x
48
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Rog, D., & Buckner, J. (2007). Toward Understanding Homelessness: The 2007 National
Symposium on Homelessness Research. Retrieved from
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/homelessness/symposium07/Overview/index.htm.
Sandel, M., Sheward, R., & Sturtevant, L. (2015). Center for housing policy: Compounding
stress the timing and duration effects of homelessness on children’s health. Retrieved
from
http://childrenshealthwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/Compounding-Stress_2015.pdf
Sasi, P.K. (2014). Role of public libraries on women empowerment: A study with special
reference to District Library Malappuram. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social
Science, 19(10), 36–42. doi:10.9790/0837-191073642
Schadt, E. (2018). Brain development and compelling outcomes of ineffective parent–child
conding. Behavioral Pediatric Healthcare for Nurse Practitioners.
doi:10.1891/9780826116819.0002
Schmit, S., Schott, L., Pavetti, L., & Matthews, H. (2015). Effective, evidence-based home
visiting programs in every State at risk if congress does not extend funding. Center on
Budget and Policy Priorities. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1820810394
Schnaufer, J. (n.d.). Home Visiting: Tales, triumphs and trailblazing - First 5 LA. Retrieved
from https://www.first5la.org/article/home-visiting-tales-triumphs-and-trailblazing/
Seibel, N. (2012). Supporting homeless young children and their parents. The National Center
on Family Homelessness.
Sharun, S. (2016). Demographic variables are associated with differing perceptions of a broad
49
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
range of public library benefits. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 11(2),
180. doi:10.18438/b8105z
Shields for Families (n.d.). Home visitation program. Retrieved from
https://www.shieldsforfamilies.org/home-visitation-program/
Sroufe, L., Egeland, B., Carlson, E., & Collins, W. (2005). The development of the person: The
Minnesota study of risk and adaptation from birth to adulthood. Choice Reviews Online,
43(04), 43–2509–43–2509. doi:10.5860/choice.43-2509
Swick, K. (2008). Empowering the parent–child relationship in homeless and other high-risk
parents and families. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36(2), 149–153.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-007-0228-x
Trivette, C., & Dunst, C. (2014). Parenting skills | Community-based parent support programs.
Retrieved from http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/parenting-skills/according-
experts/community-based-parent-support-programs
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Summary of Performance and Financial
Information (2012). Retrieved from
https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/SR2012.PDF

Vale, R. (2016). Effects of poverty on behavior and academic performance. Retrieved from
https://richmondvale.org/en/blog/effects-of-poverty-on-behavior-and-academic-
performance
Volunteers of America (n.d.). We help 1.5 million people find human service programs.
Retrieved from https://www.voa.org/about-us
Volk, K. T. (2013). The developmental trajectories of infants and young children experiencing
50
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
homelessness. Supporting families experiencing homelessness, 23–36. doi:10.1007/978-
1-4614-8718-0_2
Webster-Stratton, C. (1992). The incredible years: A trouble shooting guide for parents of
children age 3-8 years. Toronto, Canada: Umbrella Press.
Winston, R., & Chicot, R. (2016). The importance of early bonding on the long-term mental
health and resilience of children. London Journal of Primary Care, 8(1), 12–14.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17571472.2015.1133012
Wright, B., & Edginton, E. (2016). Evidence-based parenting interventions to promote secure
attachment. Global Pediatric Health, 3, 2333794X1666188.
doi:10.1177/2333794x16661888
Wright, J. D. (1990). Homelessness is not healthy for children and other living things. Child &
Youth Services, 14(1), 65–88. doi:10.1300/j024v14n01_06

51
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Appendix: A

Activities Outputs Initial
Outcome
Intermediate
Outcome
Long-term
Outcome
Program Staff

Trained Volunteers

Educational
Materials

Library Space

Funding

Advertising
(handouts)

Family support
workers

MSW,MFT
students

Paraprofessional
staff

Lending libraries
with age
appropriate toys,
games and books,
and information
about education,
health and social
service
opportunities for
parents and
children

Provide
educational
relationship
building
groups for
parents &
child

Play skills
groups
Parenting
Groups
Coffee break

Outreach to
bring parents
w/
preschoolers
into the
program

Tracking the
development
of children
of parents
served

Enrichment
activities
which
include
groups, play,
parent
education
workshops

# of families
engaging in
enrichment
activities
with
children

# of parent
education
workshops
and training
sessions held

# of families
served in
parent
education
workshops
and training
sessions

Parents
engage with
community-
based
professionals
Low-income
families or
at-risk
children

Children
meet other
children and
develop
relationships

Parents are
knowledgeable
about
developmental
milestones for
children
(social,
emotional,
cognitive and
physical)

Parents are
knowledgeable
about the
importance of
reading to
their children,
taking them to
the library,
and telling
them stories

Parents are
knowledgeable
about effective
parenting
approaches

Children have
fun and reduce
stress Parent-
child bond
strengthens

Children are
achieving
milestones for
social,
emotional,
cognitive and
physical
development

Parents use
effective
parenting
approaches
(age
appropriate
discipline,
limit setting)

Children &
parents are
playing
together

Parents read
regularly to
children

Children are
being taught
about
discipline and
limit setting

Increase in
parents’
engagement
in and
knowledge
about
bonding and
development

Children
show
positive
social and
emotional
development

Children
exhibit few
childhood
emotional
and
behavioral
problems

Parents
provide a
positive and
nurturing
environment

Parents
exhibit
positive
parenting
and
childrearing
skills

IMPACT: Parent-child bond is developed, fostered & maintained.
Children develop secure attachments that help them in their future
Program is used in various libraries throughout LA County

Inputs
Logic Model: Reaching 4 the SKY
52
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth

Appendix B

PICCOLO

53
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth

Appendix C
SEAM

!
!
!

!10#Benchmarks#
1 Participates!in!healthy#interactions!
2
3
Expresses!a!range#of!emotions!! !
Regulates!social5emotional#responses!
4
5
Shows!empathy!for!others!
Shares#attention#and#engages!with!others!
6
7
Demonstrates!independence#
Displays!a!positive!self5image!
8 Regulates!attention#and#activity#level!
9 Cooperates!with!daily!routines!and!requests!!
10 Shows!a!range!of!adaptive#skills!

New!Tools!for!Social/Emo2onal!Assessment!
!Jane!Squires,!PhD!and!Jan2na!Clifford,!PhD!
Early!Interven2on!Program,!College!of!Educa2on,!University!of!Oregon!
OPTIONAL
LOGO HERE
University of Oregon
College of Education
What%is%the%SEAM? %
• !Social!Emo2onal!Assessment/Evalua2on!Measure!for!Infants,!Toddlers,!and!Preschoolers!!
• !Programma2c!assessment!measure!focused!on!both!child!and!caregiver!competence!skills.!
• !Can!be!used!by!teachers,%home%visitors,%interven9onists,!and!consultants.!
Purpose%of%the%SEAM !
• !Assist!in!the!preven9on!and!early%iden9fica9on!of!social!emo2onal!and!behavioral!difficul2es.!
• !Assist!interven2onists!in!the!support!of!posi9ve%parentAchild%interac9ons.%
• !Assist!in!the!development!of!func2onal,!meaningful,!measurable,!high/quality!goals!and!interven9on!!
content.%
Features%of%the%SEAM %
• !Completed!by!professional!through!interview!with!caregiver!or!independently!by!caregiver!
• !Age!appropriate!examples!are!suggested!to!assist!caregivers!in!understanding!and!assessing!the!different!!
ways!their!child!may!(or!may!not)!display!specific!social/emo2onal!behaviors.!
• !Includes!assessment!for!parents:!SEAM%Family%Profile% assists!in!iden2fying!areas!where!parents!may!need!more!support!and!resources!to!
foster!their!child's!social/emo2onal!skills.!
Objective: Evaluate the technical adequacy of the SEAM for Infants and Toddlers
Utility
From Parents:
• “The SEAM allowed me to put my thoughts out there.”
• “(Our conversation) felt non-judgmental because of the
tool.”
• “If there is a concern it can be a helpful way to bring a
parent on board.”

From Providers:
• “I liked having a tool to build from…”
• “The SEAM helped me explain what to expect.”
• “It felt more like a discovery tool than judgment.”
• “Using the SEAM took out the emotions and allowed us to
be objective—
it brings the parent up to the
‘expert’ level.”
• “The SEAM makes it easier
for the professional to ask the
right questions.”
What Users are Saying about SEAM
Results
Reliability and Validity Studies

SEAM
Interval
DECA
2-12 months
ITSEA
12-36 months
ASQ:SE
3-36 months
Total score Compliance Negative
Emotion
Pro-social Total score
Infant .754** .628** -.415* .651** -.557**
N 13 27 26 24 860
Toddler NA .564** -.261** .652** -.516**
N 119 120 120 162
* p < .05, Pearson two-tailed. ** p < .01, Pearson two-tailed.
Concurrent Validity

Correlation
Infant
Classroom
Toddler
Classroom

N=12
Group #1
N=7
Group #2
N=7
Group #3
N=8
Pearson .776** .668 .948** .640
Intraclass .564* .657* .932** .324
* p < .05. ** p < .01. Note: Pearson correlations are two-tailed;
Intraclass Correlations used a two-way random effects model with a consistency definition.
Inter-rater Reliability

Infant
SEAM
Toddler
SEAM
Pearson
Correlation
N
.987**

43
.968**

42
** p < .01, two-tailed.
Test-retest Reliability

References:
Carter, A., & Briggs-Gowan, M. (2006). ITSEA Infant-Toddler Social Emotional Assessment. MA: University of Yale.
Squires, J., Bricker, D., & Twombly, E., with assistance from Yockelson, S., Schoen Davis, M., & Kim, Y . (2002). Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-emotional. A Parent-completed, Child-
Monitoring System for Social-emotional Behaviors. Baltimore, MD: Paul Brookes Publishing.
Squires, J. & Bricker, D. (2007). An Activity-based Approach to Developing Young Children’s Social and Emotional Competence. Baltimore, MD: Paul Brookes Publishing.
This%research%project%was%supported%by%Grant%R324070255%from%the%U.S.%
Department%of%EducaCon,%InsCtute%of%EducaCon%Sciences%and%was%funded%from%
August%1,%2007%–%June%30,%2012. %
!
54
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Appendix D
Journey Map Prototype

55
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth

Appendix H

56
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Appendix J
Gnatt Chart

57
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth

Appendix K

Family Strengths & Needs Assessment
Child’s Name: ___________________Parent Name:_____________________________ Date:_______________
We support the entire family, please identify below if there are needs present in the following areas:
__ Food __ Housing/Shelter __ Clothing __ Utilities Assistance __Counseling __ Domestic Violence __Health
__ Drug/Alcohol Abuse
Other needs: ________________________________________________________________
Are you/your family currently receiving services from Department of Public Social Services (DPSS)? __Yes __ No
For each of the following questions, please select a choice which best describes you and your family:
Food &
Clothing
q We meet basic food &
clothing needs.
q We meet our basic food &
clothing needs with help from
public programs such as GR.
q We often do not have enough food &
clothing.
Housing
q We have our own stable
housing
q We share living space with
others
q We have unstable housing, or
experiencing homelessness, or at risk of
homelessness
Health Care
q My family and I are healthy,
and we have access to medical
and dental care.
q We have access to medical
and dental care but do not visit
health providers regularly.
q We do not have access to medical or
dental care.
Mental
Health
q I do not have any concerns
regarding my family social-
emotional or mental health.
q I am concerned about my
family social- emotional or mental
health.
q I am concerned about my family
social- emotional or mental health and
interested in receiving referrals.
Employment q I have a permanent job.
q I have a temporary job or do
not work enough hours.
q I do not have a job or I am looking for
employment.
Parent-Child Relationships:
Parenting
Skills
q I can deal with my
child’s behaviors.
q I have some difficulty dealing with
my child’s behaviors.
q Being a parent can be challenging. I
would like assistance.
Learning &
Development
q I am very involved in
my child’s learning and
development.
q I am somewhat involved in my
child’s learning and development.
q I want to be more involved in my
child’s learning and development.

58
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth

Family Support Network

Supporting
Networks
q We have a supportive network of
friends and family that will help in a
crisis.
q We have 1 or 2 people to
help us if we are in a crisis.
q We do not know of anyone
who we could ask for help in a
crisis.

--------------------------------------------------------Clinician Use Only:---------------------------------------------------------
Date Received: _______ Needs Identified: q Yes q No Resources Provided: q Yes q No
Clinician Name: ________
Follow-Up Date: _______ Needs Met: q Yes q No Additional Resources Needed: q Yes q
Clinician Name: _________
Comments:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

59
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth

Appendix L

Pre-test Assessment

Using the scale below, circle the appropriate number for each item.
There are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers.

Never Rarely Sometimes Quite Often Very Often Always
0 1 2 3 4 5

I use the public library with my child 0 1 2 3 4 5
I empathize with my child about our feelings 0 1 2 3 4 5
My child is affectionate towards me 0 1 2 3 4 5
My child wants too much attention 0 1 2 3 4 5
I remind my child how he/she is loved 0 1 2 3 4 5

Please reflect on the degree to which each of the following statements currently applies to your
relationship with your child. Using the scale below, circle the appropriate number for each item.

Definitely does
not apply
Not Really Neutral, not sure Applies
Somewhat
Definitely
Applies
0 1 2 3 4

How knowledgeable do you feel about establishing a bond with your child 0 1 2 3 4
I am aware of what my child likes 0 1 2 3 4
I am aware of my child’s characteristics (temperament) 0 1 2 3 4
I would like to know how to play with my child, but environmental factors
don’t allow it
0 1 2 3 4
I am open to learning about further connecting with my child 0 1 2 3 4

60
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth

Appendix M

Post-test Assessment

Please reflect on the degree to which each of the following statements currently applies.

Definitely does
not apply
Not Really Neutral, not sure Applies
Somewhat
Definitely
Applies
0 1 2 3 4

How knowledgeable do you feel about fostering a connection with your
child
0 1 2 3 4
I feel that I can use some of the skills I learned during this session on my
own
0 1 2 3 4
How knowledgeable do you feel about this subject 0 1 2 3 4
Did you enjoy interacting with other families in similar situations 0 1 2 3 4
How likely are you to use the public library as a community resource 0 1 2 3 4
How likely are you to sign up for a library card 0 1 2 3 4
How likely are you to tell other homeless preschool families about this
program?
0 1 2 3 4

Comments/Suggestions? ________________________________________________________

Anything you would want to see different?
_____________________________________________________________________________

61
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Appendix N
Pilot Program Line-item Budget

Reaching 4 the Sky
Start Date: October 2020
Pilot Program: 12 children & their Parent(s)

Revenue Total(s)$
Individual Contributions: Local Donors (gifts) $1,000
Go FundMe 500
Corporate Contributions (Walmart, Honda, Wells Fargo, Ralphs, etc.)

500
Government Grants (DMH) 10,000
Total Revenue = $12,000
Personnel Expenses
Payroll Total for 2 Managers (founder & partner), Students $0
n Management (founder & partner)
n Students (2 interns)
Total Personnel $0
Operating Expenses
Space

Library In-Kind: 0
Supplies, Equipment & Other Costs
Toys, books, materials 2,000
Children’s furniture (pillows for a “homey feel”) 500
Printing and Reproduction 345
Supplies (1 Laptop @ 900/each) 900
Portable Printer (1) 60
Postage & Delivery 100
Advertising & Marketing 100
Internet Access & Web Page Design 575
IRS Form 1023 600
Professional Development (trainings) 3,000
Food/Drinks for workshops 500
Total Operational Expenses. $8680
Total Expenses 8,680
Surplus/Reserve: Revenue - Operating Expenses = $3,320
62
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth

Appendix O

First-year of operation
During the first year of operation (See Appendix P) from the budget cycle of October 1,
2021, to September 30, 2022, R4S will obtain its revenue from individual contributions,
corporate contributions, foundation grants, government grants, and events/fundraisers. The
estimated revenue for this program in its first year of operation is $930,000. However, once
expenses are deducted, there is a surplus of $299,040.
Individual Contributions. The allocated revenue for the first year is at least $10,000 in
donations/gifts from local donors. Given that a pilot program would have already launched, it
would be important to utilize the success of that program to then reach out to local donors to
obtain additional funding. The developer, along with the outreach staff and clinicians, would be
able to put together letters/brochures for potential donors to show them the value of such a
program.
Corporate Contributions. The estimated revenue for this particular source is set at about
$35,000. During and after the pilot stage, R4S will be reaching out to huge corporations that are
known to donate, such as Walmart, Honda, Wells Fargo, and Citibank, just to name a few. Given
that a pilot program would have been completed, it would be beneficial to establish a marketing
strategy in which pictures of the workshops-given families' consent would be utilized and put
into a brochure so they can see the faces of homelessness. It would be important to connect the
problem to families and to bring understanding that homelessness involves young children. For
both individual and corporate contributions, the developer of R4S will create and allocate funds
63
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
to different funding reserves to allow a visual for donors of where their contributions are going.
The reserves are as follows:
• Secure Beginnings Early Parenting Program Launch fund: helps establish and launch this
program that was developed to help homeless preschoolers and parent(s) establish and maintain a
healthy attachment.
• Let’s Play Fund: helps purchase therapeutic toys, games, and art supplies for the children and
families.
• Education fund: helps offset the expense of community education to enable the development of
highly specialized training and programs.
• General fund: helps purchase updated office equipment (including PCs, printers, phones), print
promotional materials (including letterhead, informational brochures, and handouts), and meet the
cost of daily operating expenses (including assessments, training for staff, executive director salary,
and more).

Foundation Grants.
The primary foundation grant that has been identified is that through First 5LA, at an
estimated amount of $75,000. First 5LA shares in the same vision of R4S, which is to improve
the outcomes for young children and to strengthen families and the communities they live in. The
developer of R4S has looked into past grants provided to agencies, and they have ranged from
$50,000 to $250,000. Given the novelty of this innovation, it would be necessary for the
developer to maintain realistic grant expectations and focus on smaller grant amounts given that
the program will also still be in the developing phases and require further gathering data.
Government Grants. The revenue identified from government funds is set at $800,000 to
include combined amounts from DMH, Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation, and
Department of Health & Human Services. The majority of the funding will stem from
government grants as the problem of homelessness is widespread. The focus of this program is
inclusive of the well-being, educational success, mental health, and overall healthy development
of young children, which are all things that the above government agencies support. It would be
64
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
important to emphasize the overall goal of this program, which is to help as many families as
possible while collecting data before and after each session to ensure the efficacy and success of
the program.
Events/fundraisers. In the first year of operations, the goal for R4S is to hold events and
fundraisers to not only raise awareness but to raise funds. A couple of events could be a 5k
walk/run, gift-wrapping events during the holidays, peer-to-peer fundraising, and themed parties
such as a Haunted House, which would be enjoyable for families.

65
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth

Appendix P

ANNUAL ORGANIZATIONAL OPERATING BUDGET

Reaching 4 the Sky
Organizational Operating Budget
Cycle: October 1, 2021 to September 30 2022
Revenue Total(s) $
Individual Contributions: Local Donors (gifts) $10,000
Corporate Contributions (Walmart, Honda, Wells Fargo, etc.) 35,000
Foundation Grants (First 5LA) 75,000
Gov't Grants (DMH, Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation, Dept of Health & Human Serv.) 800,000
Events (fundraisers) 10,000
Total Revenue $930,000
Personnel Expenses
Payroll Total for 1 Manager, Clinicians, Students = 241,000
n Management: Executive Director 150,000
n Clinicians: 1 Full Time $53,000 & 1 Part-Time $38,000
n Students (2-3 interns): $0
Board of Directors In-Kind 0
Outreach Staff (1 person) 38,000
Professional Fees -- 1 Office Manager-part-time 32,000
Benefits at 30% of salaries 288,600
Total Personnel Expenses $599,600
Operating Expenses
Space
Library In-Kind: 0
Supplies, Equipment & Other Costs
Toys, books 4,000
Children's furniture (bean bags, kid chairs) 1,500
Printing and Reproduction 2,200
Supplies (4 Laptops @ 900/each) 3,600
Portable Printer (1) 60
Postage & Delivery 300
Advertising & Marketing 3,000
Bank Fees & Payroll Processing Fees 3,000
Internet Access & Web Page Design 2,000
Professional Development 6,000
Travel for trainings (if needed) 1,000
Cell Phones (3) 1,200
Food/Drinks 3500
Total Operational Expenses. $31,360
Total Expenses $630,960

Surplus/Reserve: $ Revenue - $ Total Expenses (personnel + operations) $299,040

66
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Appendix

I was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. Raised by a single mother, my two siblings and I
struggled at a young age with having the opportunity to connect with our mother and living in poverty
took a toll on our ability to see her often due to long hours at work. Early on we had family members
living with us as we all struggled to make ends meet.
My mother was a determined, hardworking, persistent woman who did not have a chance to go to
college but instilled in us that drive and desire to want more in life. She looked for those small
opportunities despite financial struggles to spend some quality time, even if that meant a quick pat on
the head, or a "I see you."
Reaching 4 the Sky stemmed from the desire and reality that every child deserves the opportunity to
connect to their parent despite all barriers. Ensuring the healthy development of all youth is important,
particularly early intervention of preschool aged children and their families. Meeting the needs of
families experiencing homelessness requires a cross-sector, collaborative, and comprehensive
approach based on relationships and partnerships between housing and early childhood providers.

Thank you for your support,
Dear Reaching 4 the Sky Supporter:
Nancy Paredes, LMFT
Executive Director, Reaching 4 the Sky
HELPING CHILDREN REACH 4
THE SKY
Ensuring the Healthy Development of Young Children in a Safe Place
Reaching 4 the Sky
P O B O X 4 0 3 1 8
D o w n e y , C A 9 0 2 3 9
R e a c h i n g 4 t h e S k y . o r g

"History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children"
Nelson Mandela
Nancy is licensed as a Marriage and Family
Therapist.
She has over 9 years working as a clinician in
various clinical settings. Her area of expertise
include working with the zero to five population.
She is trained in a variety of evidence-based
practices including, Trauma Focused Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT), Triple P- Positive
Parent Program, Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP).
She is an expert in play-based learning and therapy
and enjoys helping children become stronger
individuals.

67
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth

What We DO
Empower parents and help them understand the benefits
of fostering the bond with their young child.
Understand how responsive and sensitive caregiving helps
to develop a secure base of trust, allowing children to
explore the larger world and other relationships.
Help parents understand and utilize limit-setting
situations as teaching opportunities.
Teach problem-solving skills.
Prompt and reinforce use of coping skills.
Help parents respond to their child's emotional and
physical needs in warm, caring and engaged ways.
Reaching 4 the Sky consists of activities designed to strengthen family
bonds, empower parents, increase positive and effective
communication, and improve the preschooler’s overall emotional
functioning and future academic performance all within a safe place;
public libraries.
WE AIM TO:
68
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth

Vision,Mission, & Hope
Reaching 4 the Sky:
Becomes a program that serves as a preventative measure
on a child’s future success. That with early intervention with
the parent and child the preschooler can learn to develop the
necessary coping skills to build an appropriate and secure
relationship with their parent and later in life with their
friends and partners.
To ensure that all children despite their socioeconomic status have a
safe place to connect with their parent and to ensure their overall
healthy development
Mission:
Vision:
Hope:
To empower homeless parents by providing them with the tools
needed to connect with their child and foster relationships.
To provide resources, and psychoeducation through the use of
compassionate and effective delivery of services all within a safe
enviornment.
69
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth

If you pose a danger to yourself and/or you intend to harm another person(s)
If you inform of of any child abuse , elder abuse, or dependent adult abuse
If a court of law orders the release of your information
Childs Name:______________________________________________-
I _______________________________________________________
(Print Name)
Give Consent for the following services to be provided:
Observations
Social Emotional Activities
Play Therapy
_______________________________________ _______________________
Parent Signature Date
Limits of Confidentiality
California Law places limits on confidentiality if any of the following exists:

In these situations, we are bound by the law to take the necessary steps to protect you and the people
being harmed or may be harmed.

I have read the above limits of confidentiality and understand them.
_______________________________________ _______________________
Parent Signature Date

Consent for Services
HELPING CHILDREN REACH 4
THE SKY
Ensuring the Healthy Development of Young Children in a Safe Place
Reaching 4 the Sky
P O B O X 4 0 3 1 8
D o w n e y , C A 9 0 2 3 9
R e a c h i n g 4 t h e S k y . o r g

"History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children"
Nelson Mandela
70
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth

I, the parent for _______________________ hereby give my permission for my child to participate in
the Reaching 4 the Sky Workshops.

I fully understand that the program involves mentors, & students who shall be selected from the
community, and universities and will be screened (including a criminal background check) and trained
before beginning in the program.

I understand that my child may participate in a social corner group with my permission.

I understand that this is a FREE program and my participation and that of my child is 100% voluntary
and I may discontinue attendance at any time and without reason.

I permit ____ do not permit ____ to utilize photographs of my child taken during his/her
involvement in the program and waive all rights of compensation.
_____________________________________
(Signature of Parent)
_____________________________________
(Printed name of Parent)

Date__________________

PARENT VOLUNTARY CONSENT FORM
HELPING CHILDREN REACH 4
THE SKY
Ensuring the Healthy Development of Young Children in a Safe Place
Reaching 4 the Sky
P O B O X 4 0 3 1 8
D o w n e y , C A 9 0 2 3 9
R e a c h i n g 4 t h e S k y . o r g

"History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children"
Nelson Mandela
71
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth

Child’s Name: _________________________________________ Parent: ___________________________
Reaching 4 the Sky program wants to welcome you. We provide comprehensive child development
workshops that involve you the parent as well as the child to come together and unitedly foster the
healthy development of your children.
Our staff believes that parents are the most important influence on their children and see the meeting
of your child’s needs as a joint responsibility between the staff and you, the parents.
What we expect from you:
When you enroll your child in R4S you agree to accept the basic services which we provide.
Some of these services are not optional: (Please initial)
______ 1. The law states that child care workers are mandated reporters. If staff identify a condition
which may endanger your child, you must cooperate. Withholding treatment and endangering the
health or safety of the child is a violation of California law and must be reported to a Child Protection
Agency.
______ 2. Physical or verbal punishment of children while under our care is forbidden by both state and
local policies.
______ 3. Parents must not physically or verbally punish their own or other program children under our
care.
______ 4. You are expected to participate in all areas of the program to provide better services for your
child.
______5. I received a copy of the Parent Agreement. I understand my responsibilities.

Thank you for your support,
Parent Agreement
HELPING CHILDREN REACH 4
THE SKY
Ensuring the Healthy Development of Young Children in a Safe Place
Reaching 4 the Sky
P O B O X 4 0 3 1 8
D o w n e y , C A 9 0 2 3 9
R e a c h i n g 4 t h e S k y . o r g

"History will judge us by the difference we make in the everyday lives of children"
Nelson Mandela
72
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth

Importance of Parent - Child Relationship
Parents support their child's development when they:

Parent Education Fundamental
Curriculum Framework/Indicators
1. Understand that their effectiveness as parents is influenced by the quality of the parent-
child relationship.
2. Balance meeting their children’s needs with providing a structure for their children.

1.Understand how responsive and sensitive caregiving helps to develop a secure base of
trust, allowing children to explore the larger world and other relationships.
2. Respond to their children in sensitive, supportive and caring ways.

Attachment/Autonomy
Parents support their child's development when they:
Support/Guidance
Parents support their child's development when they:
1.Establish and maintain reasonable limits.
2. Understand and utilize limit-setting situations as teaching opportunities.
3. Teach problem-solving skills.
4. Prompt and reinforce use of coping skills.
5. Understand the impact of their parenting style on their children’s behavior
Social & Emotional Development
Parents support their child's social and emotional development when they:
1. Respond to their child's emotional and physical needs in warm, caring and engaged
ways.
2. Help their children identify, express, and understand their emotions and those of
others, "I see that you feel_____."
3. Involve their children in thinking of solutions and anticipating consequences related to
their behaviors and emotions.
Source: Wells, S. (2019). Raising a Secure Child: How Circle of Security Parenting Can Help You Nurture Your Child’s Attachment, Emotional Resilience, and Freedom to
Explore. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 58(2), 297–299. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2018.12.006t
73
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth

Sample Program Goal, Objective,
Outcome, and Result
Children will
engage in
positive
interactions
through
secure
relationships
with
consistent,
responsive
parent(s).
Implement a
parenting
curriculum
at a
minimum, 50
percent of
families to
practice skills
related to
nurturing
their children
50 percent of
participating
parents will
have
enhanced
warm
relationships
that nurture
their child’s
learning and
development
Program Goal Objective
Expected
Outcome
Demonstrate a secure attachment
to their parent
1.
2. Demonstrate the ability to depend
on trusted adults to meet their needs
appropriately
74
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Logo

75
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Infographic

76
Ensure Healthy Development for all Youth
Infographic

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This paper looks at the grand challenge of ensuring the healthy development for all youth. The initiative for this grand challenge is to examine the effects of preventative interventions to prevent behavioral health problems in young people (Hawkins, et al., 2015). This paper will look at preschoolers and examine the effects of homelessness on a child’s ability to build a bond with their parent. Homelessness has particularly adverse effects on children and youth including hunger, poor physical and mental health, and missed educational opportunities (American Psychological Association, n.d.). This paper will take a different look at homelessness

Linked assets

University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Conceptually similar

PDF

Homeless youth: Reaching the Hard-To-Reach

PDF

Addison’s Neighbor: permanent supportive housing for parenting youth transitioning out of foster care

PDF

Conjoint homeless prevention services for older adults

PDF

Operation hope

PDF

Building healthy relationships to end family violence

PDF

From “soul calling” to calling a therapist: meeting the mental health needs of Hmong youth through the integration of spiritual healing, culturally responsive practice and technology

PDF

Homeless female veterans—silent epidemic

PDF

Youth homelessness policy change

PDF

The Senior Social Isolation Project (SSIP): a comprehensive response to a growing aging population

PDF

Increasing access to mental health counseling for homeless youth: Peer2Peer Counseling Supports

PDF

Empowering and building resilience with youth in congregate care

PDF

SCALE UP: an integrated wellness framework for schools

PDF

Strength-Based Reporting: a trauma-informed practice for mandated reporters, to address behavioral health concerns in children at risk of child welfare involvement

PDF

The art of connection: youth stories about life and meaning. Voices of Promise: using social practice art for youth connection

PDF

WISER women’s program: well-being innovation with support and education for resilience—a homelessness prevention intervention

PDF

Unto the least of these homeless ministry: ending homelessness within the co-occurring population

PDF

Healing parent application for parents who have experienced trauma

PDF

Connecting students to wellness: student parents empowering parents)

PDF

Rethink Homelessness project

PDF

Engaging African American families: assessment, connection, and treatment strategies for lasting change

Asset Metadata

Creator Paredes, Nancy (author)

Core Title Ensuring healthy development for all youth: homelessness is trauma connecting with the invisible families: fostering the parent-child bond

School Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work

Degree Doctor of Social Work

Degree Program Social Work

Publication Date 09/22/2020

Defense Date 04/17/2020

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag attachment,developmental attachment,ensuring healthy development,grand challenge,homeless preschoolers,library programs,Mental Health,OAI-PMH Harvest,parent-child bonding,Social Work,trauma-informed

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Islam, Nadia (committee chair), Smith-Maddox, Renee (committee chair), Bolar, Eleanor (committee member)

Creator Email NancyEParedes@gmail.com,Neparede@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-378215

Unique identifier UC11666347

Identifier etd-ParedesNan-8548.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-378215 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-ParedesNan-8548.pdf

Dmrecord 378215

Document Type Capstone project

Rights Paredes, Nancy

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA