U.S. Commentary: Implications From the Family Options Study for Homeless and Child Welfare Services

The Family Options Study provides an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the troubling link between family homelessness and child maltreatment. The rigorous design uses multiple methods to probe the impact of housing interventions on family preservation and reunification and the underlying mechanisms. Results show that ending homelessness keeps families together; however, once separated, families continue to struggle to reunify with children. Permanent housing subsidies represent a more efficient approach to promoting family stability among homeless families compared with temporary housing with supportive services. Results introduce a new phase of family homeless research, practice, and policy; further investigation must consider broad scale approaches to keep families affordably housed in inclusive communities that protect child safety and well-being. Homelessness and Child Welfare The link between family homelessness and child separation represents an ongoing concern for practice and policy. Well-designed observational studies estimate that approximately one in five families entering homeless shelters for the first time subsequently receive child welfare services (Culhane et al., 2003; Park et al., 2004). A similar proportion of families rely on informal placements with family and friends to shield children and adolescents from homelessness (Cowal et al., 2002; Gubits et al., 2016). Moreover, a connection exists between child welfare involvement and homelessness in the transition to adulthood; one study estimates that one-half of young adults seeking homeless services had prior contact with the child protective services (Putnam-Hornstein et al., 2017). The child welfare system struggles to keep up with demand for housing assistance. National estimates suggest approximately one in six families investigated for child abuse and neglect experience housing problems that threaten child safety (Fowler et al., 2013), whereas more than one-fourth of