The National Center on Family Homelessness has released a report card on child homelessness, with an estimate that more than 1.5 million children in the United States are homeless.
The report points out that:
“Children without homes are twice as likely to experience hunger as other children. Two-thirds worry they won’t have enough to eat. More than one-third of homeless children report being forced to skip meals. Homelessness makes children sick. Children who experience homelessness
are more than twice as likely as middle class children to have moderate to severe acute and chronic health problems.”
Health is one measure taken into account for the report’s child well-being score and the report has sections that deal with the health of children as well as policy initiatives, such as Medicaid and SCHIP.
The report has a state-by-state breakdown that shows the percentage of uninsured children, Medicaid expenditures and eligibility and other measures. It also includes rankings and an evaluation of each state’s policy and planning for homelessness.
