Children who experience homelessness, child abuse and neglect, poverty or other similar situations are at greater risk for developmental delays and disabilities. While Virginia’s early intervention system does not serve at-risk children, many children who receive early intervention services experience these situations which may contribute to their developmental needs. It is important for service coordinators and service providers to be familiar with how these situations can impact early development, learning, and parent-child interactions. This page provides resources related to supporting children and families in challenging situations.
Children and Families in Need
Virginia-Specific Info
N/A
Handouts and Documents
America’s Youngest Outcasts (external website)
The National Center on Family Homelessness
This report documents the number of homeless children in every state, their well-being, their risk for child homelessness, and state level planning and policy activities.
Caring for the Health and Wellness of Children Experiencing Homelessness (external website) National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness
This handout provides information about the definition of homelessness, causes of homelessness, identifying and assessing need, effects of homelessness on health and wellness, and tips for practitioners working with children who are homeless.
Early Care and Education for Young Children Experiencing Homelessness (external website)
National Center for Homeless Education
Preschool programs play a critical role in meeting homeless children’s need for quality early care and education. This brief provides information and suggests best practices to facilitate collaboration between schools, service provider agencies, and early childhood programs, and to increase the enrollment of and provision of services to families with young children experiencing homelessness.
Ensuring the Healthy Development of Infants in Foster Care (external website)
Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children | Zero to Three Policy Center
This guide this handbook is a working tool to help judges, advocates and child welfare professionals understand the questions to ask and the resources that can address the special needs of infants in foster care and strengthen their families.
Fact Sheet: Vulnerable Young Children (external website)
National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC)
This fact sheet provides data on infants, toddlers and young children who are experiencing high stress as a result of a number of risk factors specifically identified in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004), including substantiated abuse or neglect, foster care placement, homelessness, exposure to family violence and prenatal exposure to drugs or alcohol.
Helping Young Children Grow & Learn: A Guide for Families & Shelter Providers (external website)
Project HOPE-Virginia
This brief emphasizes ways that families and shelter providers can encourage the development of young children and become aware of potential concerns. It provides resources and strategies to assist when delays are observed.
How Much Could We Improve Children’s Life Chances by Intervening Early and Often? (external website)
CCF Brief #54 | Center on Children and Families at BROOKINGS
This policy brief presents research findings that support the positive outcomes of early intervention on children from families who have lower incomes.
Poverty’s Effect on Infants and Toddlers Infographic (external website)
Zero to Three
This infographic shows how young children in poverty begin to develop gaps in their growth and development when compared with their peers beginning at birth.
Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect (external website)
Child Welfare Information Gateway
This factsheet provides information on how communities and individual citizens can strengthen families, protect children, and prevent child abuse and neglect.
Supporting Families In Early Intervention (PDF)
VA's Integrated Training Collaborative
Partnership for People with Disabilities at VCU
There are 3 Virginia organizations who serve families (for FREE) at every stage, including the EI years. This handout provides helpful links to reach those organizations.
What is Child Abuse and Neglect? Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms (external website)
Child Welfare Information Gateway
This factsheet outlines the legal definition of child abuse and neglect, the different types of abuse and neglect, and the signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect. Resources about the impact of trauma on well-being also are included.
Journal Articles
Corr, C., & Santos, R. M. (2016). Abuse and young children with disabilities: A review of the literature (external website). Journal of Early Intervention, 39(1), 3-17.
This article reviews the extent literature about abuse experienced by young children with disabilities. Themes across the literature are described, including the connection between children and families service by EI and child welfare systems.
Holt, S., Buckley, H., & Sadhbh, W. (2008). The impact of exposure to domestic violence on children and young people: A review of the literature (external website). Child Abuse & Neglect, 32, 797-810.
This review finds that children and adolescents living with domestic violence are at increased risk of experiencing emotional, physical and sexual abuse, of developing emotional and behavioral problems and of increased exposure to the presence of other adversities in their lives. It also highlights a range of protective factors that can mitigate against this impact, in particular a strong relationship with and attachment to a caring adult, usually the mother.
Richards, R., Merrill, R. M., & Baksh, L. (2011). Health behaviors and infant health outcomes in homeless pregnant women in the United States (external website). Pediatrics, 128(3), e1-e9.
This article describes an analysis of data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. Information is provided about demographics, maternal health behaviors, and infant health outcomes among homeless women in the US.
Silver, J., & Dicker, S. (2007). Mental health assessment of infants in foster care (external website). Child Welfare, 86(5), 35-55.
This article presents practice guidelines for infant mental health evaluations with consideration of legal requirements and the unique issues conferred by foster care.
Stirling, J., & Amaya-Jackson, L. (2008). Understanding the behavioral and emotional consequences of child abuse (external website). Pediatrics, 122(3), 667-673.
This article describes how pediatricians can assist caregivers by helping them recognize the abused or neglected child's altered physiological responses, formulate more effective coping strategies, and mobilize available community resources. This information may also be useful to EI practitioners.
eLearning, Presentations, and Webinars
eLearning
Child Abuse and Neglect Recognition and Intervention Training (external website)
Virginia Dept. of Social Services
This training module addresses three topics: recognizing child abuse and neglect – definitions and indicators; responding to suspected abuse or neglect; and what to do after making a report to Child Protective Services.
Supporting Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness - Learning Series (external website)
Head Start Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center
This learning series includes eight modules designed to help early childhood care providers and others identify families experiencing homelessness, conduct community outreach, and more. Each module takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. A certificate of completion is available after all modules are finished.
Webinars
Children in Meth Labs: Home Visitor Safety
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Lt. Jason A. Robinson
Methamphetamine lab seizures are on the rise in the nation's cities and suburbs, raising new concerns about a lethal drug that has long been the scourge of rural America. We see stories on the news everyday about meth labs, but what does a meth lab look like and why is it so dangerous? Meth lab contaminated homes can potentially pose significant dangers to homeowners, occupants, and visitors. The long-term health effects caused by the residual chemicals from the meth 'cooking' process are just now beginning to be understood. What can you do to protect yourself in the event you accidentally encounter a meth lab during a home visit? This webinar will provide home visitors with knowledge they can use to recognize the signs of a meth lab and what can be done to minimize the dangers posed therein. Click the link above to visit the 2014 Talks on Tuesdays Archive and scroll down until you find the webinar.
Casting a Wide Net to Support Young Children Experiencing Homelessness
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Patricia A. Pop, PhD
Families with young children are the fastest growing subpopulation of people in the United States experiencing homeless. Who is considered homeless? How many children are there in these unstable housing situations? What can early interventionists do to support these infants and toddlers and their families? This webinar will explore these questions to give EI practitioners tools and resources needed to better assist these families. Click the link above to visit the 2014 Talks on Tuesdays Archive and scroll down until you find the webinar.
Knowing How to Connect the Dots: Recognizing & Responding to Abuse & Neglect
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Molly Dellinger-Wray
This webinar will offer facts about abuse and neglect as it relates to children with disabilities, how to recognize the red flags that abuse or neglect may be occurring, mandated reporting, and practical steps that you can take to recognize and respond to child abuse and neglect of children with disabilities. Click the link above to visit the 2014 Talks on Tuesdays Archive and scroll down until you find the webinar.
Ready, Set, Resilience: Understanding and Supporting Infant and Toddler Protective Factors
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Mary Mackrain
This webinar provides information about social and emotional health including critical indicators, key research findings, and strategies for caregivers. Click the link above to visit the 2010-2011 Talks on Tuesdays Archive and scroll down until you find the webinar.
Supporting Families in the Midst of a Crisis
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Lisa Terry, MS, MEd
This webinar introduces the 5Rs of Healthy Brain Development. It includes the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on stress, empathy, behaviors, and embedded strategies to support the caregiver, child, and early interventionist. Resources for this webinar include: Webinar Handout, Supporting the 5Rs of Health Development, Supporting the 5Rs Example.
Tipping the Scales in Their Favor: Your Role in Recognizing and Responding to Abuse and Neglect of Children with Disabilities
Partnership for People with Disabilities/VCU
This 3-part webinar series provide information about: 1) best practices with children with disabilities; 2) why children with disabilities are abused more frequently and how abuse of children with disabilities can differ from children who are typically developing; and 3) practical issues of recognizing and reporting abuse.
Trauma and Early Childhood Development
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Andrea Muffly, MS, OTR/L
This webinar explores how trauma impacts early childhood development by discussing how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress change brain structure and impact global development. In Part I, you will learn how chronic stress impacts brain development and creates pathways built for survival and discuss how these newly formed pathways affect children's ability to learn and regulate. In Part II, you will learn functional strategies that can be implemented with the families. You will learn how to address trauma within your roles as an early interventionist as well as practical strategies to use with the families. Click the link above to visit the 2020 Talks on Tuesdays Archive and scroll down until you find the webinars.
Tools
Self-Assessment Tool for Early Childhood Programs Serving Families Experiencing Homelessness (external website)
Department of Health & Human Services and the Ounce
This tool provides guidance to early childhood programs when creating welcoming environments that support families and children experiencing homelessness. Recommendations for making early childhood programs more responsive to the unique needs of infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their families who experience homelessness address five areas: Identification and Support; Removal of Barriers; Responding to Family Needs; Engagement in Strategic Collaboration; and Improving Collection, Reporting and Utilization of Data.
Videos
Starting Life Without a Home: Supporting Homeless Families in Nurturing their Infants and Toddlers (external website)
Zero to Three
To help educate policymakers and advocates about what it’s like to start life without a home, ZERO TO THREE has produced a short video with highlights from a recent Congressional briefing on supporting homeless infants and toddlers. Starting Life Without a Home calls attention to the negative effects of family homelessness upon the developmental needs of young children and presents examples of successful intervention programs.
Websites/Programs
Child Welfare Information Gateway (external website)
This site connects child welfare and related professionals to comprehensive information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families. We feature the latest on topics from prevention to permanency, including child abuse and neglect, foster care, and adoption.
National Center for Children in Poverty – Infants and Toddlers (external website)
The NCCP is a public policy center dedicated to promoting the economic security, health, and well-being of low-income families and children. The website provides data tools young child risk and family income, state profile information, and a variety of searchable topics.
The Infants and Toddlers page provides information and links to publications such as:
- Basic Facts about Low-Income Children (under 3 years)
- Young Children at Risk
- What Can CCDF Learn from the Research on Children’s Health and Safety in Child Care?
National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) (external website)
The NCHE provides research, resources, and information enabling communities to address the educational needs of children experiencing homelessness. The Center also supports educators and service providers through producing training and awareness materials and providing training at regional and national conferences and events. Visit the site for issue briefs, archived webinars, print and online resources by topic, and PowerPoint presentations.