Children Caught in Family Homelessness: How They are Hurt and How We Can Help

The Advocacy Network to End Family Homelessness presents Children Caught in Family Homelessness: How they are Hurt and How we Can Help, its thirteenth forum on family homelessness on Sunday, March 18 from 3 to 5 pm at First Parish in Concord 20 Lexington Road. Learn how to your advocacy can help children and their families in our communities.

Family homelessness in Massachusetts remains a severe problem.  Over 3,500 families are in shelters nightly throughout the state with an average stay of 253 days.  Another 600-700 families, otherwise eligible for shelter, are required to prove they are sleeping in a place unfit for human habitation before being accepted into a state-run emergency shelter.  This year’s Advocacy Network Forum will focus on the children who suffer long-term physical, social and emotional damage from the horrors of having no home.

Speakers include:

• Dr. Megan Sandel, Associate Director of the GROW Clinic at Boston Medical Center, Principal Investigator with Children’s Health Watch and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Boston University will speak on the effects of unstable housing and homelessness on children and their caregivers.
• Carl Howell, Division Director of Housing and Homeless Services for Community Teamwork, Lowell, MA will address challenges for families moving in and out of shelter.
• Kelly Turley, Associate Director, Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, will discuss ways every citizen can advocate with their local legislators to fund the state’s homelessness prevention programs.

The forum is free and open to all.  State legislators will be available for Q & A and discussion.   For more information, see www.endfamilyhomelessness.net.