This Data in Action Brief is a partnership between the NHVRC and SchoolHouse Connection, a national organization working to overcome homelessness through early care and education. Approximately 3 percent of all children birth through age three experienced homelessness in the 2022-2023 program year.* Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs capture data on families experiencing homelessness as part of their annual reporting, providing an opportunity to use insights from MIECHV data to inform ways home visiting programs can strengthen their support drawing on lessons learned from national data on homelessness. Drawing on data on MIECHV and national information about young children experiencing homelessness, we explore what available data reveal about families experiencing homelessness, particularly those receiving home visiting services.
In this brief, we consider what the data reveal about patterns among home visiting participants experiencing homelessness and highlight opportunities to expand support to families by asking:
- What do we know about homelessness among families with young children and those receiving home visiting?
- How do living arrangements vary in families experiencing homelessness?
- What factors may influence variation and prevalence of homelessness in home visiting recipients?
- How can home visiting further support families experiencing homelessness?
*Access the full brief for citations.
Suggested citation: Meisch, A. D., Patterson, E., Vrabic, S, Shaw, S., Joraanstad, A., & Duffield, B. (2026). Understanding homelessness among families in home visiting. Data in Action Brief. James Bell Associates and SchoolHouse Connection.
Acknowledgments: Thank you to Mikaila Singleton and Deisy Rodriguez for data support and quality assurance and Kristine Neurauter for data visualization and formatting support.