A program funding childcare for homeless families in Boston is helping parents set their young children up for success before kindergarten, as well as improve the outlook for their whole family.
The program provides bridge childcare vouchers to homeless families with children under 6 so they can put their children in daycare and preschool programs without worrying about the cost.
“Homelessness in America, especially for families with young children, is what I would characterize as policy violence,” U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District, said at a press conference Thursday. “It is a humanitarian crisis. In my opinion, it is a moral failing. It is a policy choice, and it is preventable. It’s a byproduct of cycles of poverty that have become all too common in our nation.”
Pressley secured $1 million in federal Community Project Funding for 2023 for the childcare vouchers, which have been administered by the city of Boston.
She said unhoused families often struggle to access subsidized childcare programs, so the vouchers allow them to immediately place their children in childcare, freeing up parents to otherwise improve their situation.
According to Pressley, one in 19 children under the age of 6 in Massachusetts have experienced homelessness.
She said that opportunity can make the difference between families simply surviving and instead beginning to thrive.
“Children experiencing homelessness will be connected to wraparound resources such as behavioral and mental health, food service, diapers, clothing and other essentials,” she said. “It will also provide parents with the opportunity to access the services that they need to become gainfully employed and to become healthy.”
Many of the childcare programs also provide supports to families outside of daycare. Horizons for Homeless Children pairs each parent with a family advocate to guide them toward other services, education and employment opportunities.
“We were particularly impressed at how this funding was deployed by the city,” Horizons President and CEO Kate Barrand said. “They have used this funding to train more providers in this important work. This money will be used to support people in developing trauma-informed approaches to working with young children and to supporting their families in getting access to vital services.”
Before the press conference, Pressley and Mayor Michelle Wu met with childcare providers from around the city.
Those providers told them how the program has allowed them to welcome homeless children without worrying about where the funding will come from.
They also spoke with three parents of children at Horizons, who said having both childcare and wraparound supports has allowed them to improve their lives and move toward securing permanent housing.
Wu said during the press conference that the discussion emphasized how difficult it is for homeless families to access programs meant to help them.
Earlier this week, the city announced a new portal where all Boston families can search and apply for childcare and preschool options in order to streamline that process, but Wu said unhoused parents need more.
“We have resources, we have systems, but often they are designed by people who haven’t lived these experiences and therefore the steps are all out of order,” she said. “How can you possibly be trying to find housing and get a job while you’re waiting to get funding for child care so that you can actually make sure that your little ones are cared for? That is always going to be the top priority of families.”
Pressley said that in addition to supporting families that need it, providing childcare will boost the local economy by getting parents back into the workforce.
“When parents are able to work and their babies are safely cared for, everyone benefits,” she said.
The state Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities announced Thursday that Massachusetts is one of eight states chosen to participate in the Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator, a federal program to address homelessness.
The 12-month program, run by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Health and Human Services will provide technical assistance for the state on several initiatives meant to help people find stable housing.
The state will explore creating a map of housing-related services and studying the cost of building a permanent supportive housing program and whether Medicaid or other federal funding could be used for the program.