There are so many uplifting stories about research that benefits
children and families. I have not had
the pleasure of experiencing a real-life example of research benefits to
children and families. I have found many interesting stories online about how
it can benefit children. One story about homelessness caught my attention. The
reason for that is that it always touches my heart to hear stories about a
child of parent who beat the odds and succeed in life, despise not having a
place to call home.
On Walden library database I found an interesting article called “Lessons
learned from children who have experienced homelessness.” Key themes
that emerged from the research include: the need for services to engage with children as individuals in their
own right, to listen to and acknowledge
their stories, to have services that meet their individual needs, to act and respond when
children feel unsafe and for workers who can provide support to children to talk to
parents about what is going on (Moore, McArthur, and Noble-Carr, 2011). When we hear
the tem “homelessness” we know that for children it can affect their health and
wellbeing. The
research question was: what do service systems need to know about how children
perceive and experience homelessness in order to achieve better outcomes for
homeless families (Moore, McArthur, and Noble-Carr, 2011)? The
reference group included six children ages 8–12 who had experienced homeless
with their parents were recruited through homelessness services (Moore, McArthur,
and Noble-Carr, 2011). Some good points was included in this article like Children
need a continuity of care, Children need to know that they and their families
are safe, Children need adults to respond, Children want services to recognize
their family’s strengths and help build upon them, and Kids may need adults to help them
communicate. A
key theme to emerge from this project was the need for services to engage with
children as individuals in their own right, and listen to and acknowledge their
experiences (Moore,
McArthur, and Noble-Carr, 2011). The research went on to conclude that children have feelings and
want people to recognize that they need services available to them. The
children in this study focused on what their parents could do rather than what
they couldn’t and wished that services would do this too (Moore, McArthur,
and Noble-Carr, 2011).
Moore, T., McArthur, M., & Noble-Carr, D. (2011). Lessons
learned from children who have experienced homelessness: what services need to
know. Children & Society, 25(2), 115-126
Kelisha,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this subject. I completely agree children need community support even more when dealing with homelessness. I have had several children in my class through the years who are experiencing homelessness. In Head Start we try to help the family get the resources they need to better their lives.
Alissa
Kelisha,
ReplyDeleteI am glad you were able to find positive research experiences. It seems that the conclusion of the study revealed that homeless children what to be treated as individuals and their voices to be heard. I think we can say this is true for all children. As EC educators we are taught to view each of our students as individuals and cater to their individual needs. The results of the research suggests that all adults who work with children need to learn how to do the same.
Krista
I think this research would be beneficial for parents that are struggling with consistent housing. The fact that the children are citing what they need from society is profound and I think could be impactful for the parents. The same things that children need from their parents are what we as early childhood educators should be offering children in our classrooms.
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