New Resource: The Early Childhood Self-Assessment Tool for Family Shelters

By Marsha Basloe, Senior Advisor for Early Childhood Development

The Administration for Children and Families recently released a new resource as part of its early childhood work on the Interagency Workgroup to End Family Homelessness.  The Early Childhood Self-Assessment Tool for Family Shelters  (PDF)is designed to help shelter staff create shelter environments that are safe and developmentally appropriate for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. The tool provides specific recommendations and information on how shelter environments, programming, policies, and staff can support early childhood safety and child development.

While ACF and other federal agencies continue to work towards ensuring that all children have a safe, stable place to call home, we recognize that there are young children staying in shelters because their families have no other place to go.

We hope that shelters and early learning programs will use this tool to work together to create the most appropriate and supportive environment possible for these vulnerable young children and strengthen collaboration efforts at the local level to best use community resources.

Visit this page for more information or to download The Early Childhood Self-Assessment Tool for Family Shelters." Please share this resource with your community and partners.

Several federal policies and programs are in place to strengthen the ability of early care and education (ECE) providers to serve young children experiencing homelessness. Whether you are in a Head Start program, early childhood program, or work at the state level on early childhood systems and services, the resources listed below will assist you in ensuring that these young children are prioritized for services that support their learning and development. For additional materials, visit this page.