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Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health Programs

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Evidence Tools
MCHbest. Housing Instability: Child.

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Strategy. School-Based Support (Child)

Approach. Support families that are facing homelessness or housing instability early to ensure children remain in school and do not fall behind.

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Overview. School-based support for children and families facing homelessness is important and can assist in providing various services and resources to help mitigate the challenges they face. School-based support can assist children and families facing homelessness by providing stability and continuity IN WHAT, basic needs assistance. (such as clothing, toiletries, food), educational support, emotional support, parental involvement, community partnerships, and academic support.[1,2] By providing a holistic support system that addresses the educational, emotional, and basic needs of homeless children and families, school-based support programs can play a vital role in helping them overcome the challenges associated with homelessness and achieve academic success.[2]

Evidence. Emerging Evidence. Strategies with this rating typically trend positive and have good potential to work...

Access the peer-reviewed evidence through the MCH Digital Library or related evidence source.

Potential Data Sources. Data to support this strategy can be accessed through:

  • School stability and enrollment data
  • Parent-reported self-efficacy and coping skills
  • Qualitative feedback from families and school staff
  • Student attendance and graduation rate

Outcome Components. This strategy has shown to have impact on the following outcomes (Read more about these categories):

  • Policy. This strategy helps to promote decisions, laws, and regulations that promote public health practices and interventions.
  • Social Determinants of Health. This strategy advances economic, social, and environmental factors that affect health outcomes. SDOH include the conditions in the environments in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.

Detailed Outcomes. For specific outcomes related to each study supporting this strategy, access the peer-reviewed evidence and read the Intervention Results for each study.

Intervention Type. Case Management (Read more about intervention types and levels as defined by the Public Health Intervention Wheel).

Intervention Level. Individual/Family-Focused

Examples from the Field. There are currently no ESMs that use this strategy. Search similar intervention components in the ESM database.

Sample ESMs. Here are sample ESMs to use as models for your own measures using the RBA framework (see The Role of Title V in Adapting Strategies).

Quadrant 1:
Measuring Quantity of Effort (“What/how much did we do?”)

  • Number of school personnel, including teachers, counselors, and support staff, trained to identify and support students and families experiencing homelessness or housing instability. (Measures workforce capacity building for school-based support)
  • Number of partnerships established between schools, housing providers, and community-based organizations to provide coordinated, wraparound support to students and families in need. (Shows cross-sector collaboration for comprehensive support)

Quadrant 2:
Measuring Quality of Effort (“How well did we do it?”)

  • Percent of school-based support services that are provided in a trauma-informed and stigma-free manner to students and families experiencing homelessness or housing instability. (Measures quality and sensitivity of service delivery)
  • Percent of school-based support providers and partners who are representative of the students and families served. (Shows representation in school-based support workforce)

Quadrant 3:
Measuring Quantity of Effect (“Is anyone better off?”)

  • Number of students experiencing homelessness or housing instability who report feeling safe, supported, and valued in their school environment as a result of school-based support. (Measures student-reported outcomes and experiences of belonging)
  • Number of families experiencing homelessness or housing instability who report increased access to essential resources, reduced stress, and improved family stability through school-based support. (Assesses family-reported outcomes and wellbeing)
  • Number of schools and districts partnered with Title V that demonstrate significant reductions in chronic absenteeism, school mobility, and educational challenges among students experiencing homelessness or housing instability. (Measures population-level impact on education and stability)
  • Number of communities that implement comprehensive, coordinated school-housing partnerships that result in measurable decreases in student and family homelessness and improvements in housing stability over time. (Assesses collective impact on preventing and ending homelessness)

Quadrant 4:
Measuring Quality of Effect (“How are they better off?”)

  • Percent of students experiencing homelessness or housing instability who report feeling safe, supported, and valued in their school environment as a result of school-based support. (Measures student-reported outcomes and experiences of belonging)
  • Percent of families experiencing homelessness or housing instability who report increased access to essential resources, reduced stress, and improved family stability through school-based support. (Assesses family-reported outcomes and wellbeing)
  • Percent of schools and districts partnered with Title V that demonstrate significant reductions in chronic absenteeism, school mobility, and educational challenges among students experiencing homelessness or housing instability. (Measures population-level impact on education and stability)
  • Percent of communities that implement comprehensive, coordinated school-housing partnerships that result in measurable decreases in student and family homelessness and improvements in housing stability over time. (Assesses collective impact on preventing and ending homelessness)

Note. When looking at your ESMs, SPMs, or other strategies:

  1. Move from measuring quantity to quality.
  2. Move from measuring effort to effect.
  3. Quadrant 1 strategies should be used sparingly, when no other data exists.
  4. The most effective measurement combines strategies in all levels, with most in Quadrants 2 and 4.

Learn More. Read how to create stronger ESMs and how to measure ESM impact more meaningfully through Results-Based Accountability.

References

[1] Stargel, L. E., & Easterbrooks, M. A. (2022). Children's early school attendance and stability as a mechanism through which homelessness is associated with academic achievement. Journal of School Psychology, 90, 19-32.
[2] Pavlakis, A. E. (2018). Reaching all families: Family, school, and community partnerships amid homelessness and high mobility in an urban district. Urban Education, 53(8), 1043-1073.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U02MC31613, MCH Advanced Education Policy, $3.5 M. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.