Drilling Down Into Pennsylvania's Data on Infants - Toddlers Experiencing Homelessness in New National Report

Estimated 14,223 infants/toddlers experienced homelessness in PA!

Colleague Sarah Vrabic of Schoolhouse Connection posted last week her article on her organization’s new report Infant and Toddler Homelessness Across 50 States: 2022–2023.

In partnership with Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan, the report is the only 50-state analysis of homelessness among our nation’s youngest children. It presents the latest state-level estimates of infant and toddler homelessness, early childhood enrollment data, and recommendations for policymakers, agencies, and service providers across sectors.

This week we drill down to see what the data suggests about Pennsylvania.

If you recall, the new report revealed that an estimated 446,696 infants and toddlers—ages birth through three—experienced homelessness during the 2022–2023 program year, a 23% increase in just two years.

Reviewing SchoolHouse Connection’s two previous reports, we compare some of the data categories. See the table below. Please be aware that Covid influenced data collection and reporting. It seems more useful to us that we compare the fiscal years (FY) 2022 to 2023. Readers are encouraged to review the reports’ data methodology.

Key observations:

• 14,223 infants and toddlers were identified as homeless in FY 2022-23.

• Pennsylvania experienced a 26% increase in the number of children ages birth to 3 when compared to the FY 2021-22 period. Nationally, there was a 23% increase in the two reporting years.

• While the number of infants/toddlers enrolled in early development programs increased, the percentage declined by 16%.

• Amazingly, the number of infants/toddlers served by Early Head Start was identical for the two years.

• There was a 7% increase in the number of infants/toddlers identified by an ‘local education agencies’ (LEAs, i.e., public schools and charters). We conjecture that the increased time-limited funding from the American Rescue Plan increased staffing and procedures that spurred this increase.

• 9,584 infants/toddlers experiencing homeless were unserved. We acknowledge that the early development programs are affected by the high cost of funding infant care, lack of qualified staffing, and center closures resulting from Covid influences this number. Challenges in this system remain; see “2024 State of Early Care and Education in Pennsylvania Providing the Necessary Foundation for Young Children to Succeed” by PA Partnerships for Children, Pre K For PA, and Strong Start PA.

There are solutions.

SchoolHouse Connection offers a host of recommendations for federal, state, local governments and for providers. We have encouraged our state officials to expand home visiting funding. We have also asked the state to add General Fund dollars to the ‘Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness” program that would help to preserved initiatives launched by the American Rescue Plan that spurred innovations throughout the Commonwealth.

In Philadelphia, the City Council and the School District of Philadelphia are pledging new support by providing new funds that will link the School District to housing providers. These services are mostly improved case management and system navigation, with some short-term housing and other supports. Details will be shared in a future posting.

Sources:

• Schoolhouse Connection: Infant and Toddler Homelessness Across 50 States: 2022–2023.

• Schoolhouse Connection: Infant & Toddler Homelessness Across 50 States: 2021-2022

• Schoolhouse Connection: Infants and Toddlers Experiencing Homelessness: Prevalence & Access To Early Learning in Twenty States, November 2022.

• PA Partnerships for Children, Pre K For PA, and Strong Start PA: 2024 State of Early Care and Education in Pennsylvania Providing the Necessary Foundation for Young Children to Succeed