February 2009Vol. 10, No. 1Partnering to Provide Housing for Children and Youth
Information and resources that support partnerships between child welfare and public housing agencies are the focus of a new website launched by the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare (NCHCW). NCHCW is working to support collaborations at the local, regional, and State levels in order to better assist families when the primary barrier to reunification with their children in foster care is the lack of affordable, safe, decent, and permanent housing. The Center is also working with agencies that serve foster youth to help youth who are aging out of foster care develop plans for achieving housing stability.
NCHCW supports these partnerships on three levels:
- Educating policymakers about the need for housing subsidies and services for homeless families and youth
- Developing relationships between homeless services and child welfare agencies
- Cross-training frontline workers to work together to prevent homelessness and child maltreatment
Resources on the site include links to legislation and policy, a model of partnership between child welfare and affordable housing agencies, training materials, and a bibliography of research reports.