An Unseen Reality:
Infant and Toddler Homelessness


Homelessness And Its Impact On Expectant Parents, Infants, Toddlers, And Their Families

Homelessness in early childhood can lead to developmental delays, physical and mental health issues, and lasting effects on well-being.1

Homelessness during pregnancy or within the first three years of a child’s life has lifelong consequences on physical health and mental well-being. These years are foundational to development, and trauma—including homelessness—can disrupt this growth, leading to long-lasting effects.2 Homelessness causes harm, and we must take action to address and prevent it.

The Solution

We have an opportunity to ensure all infants, toddlers, expectant parents, and their families have access to stable, secure housing and the services they need to thrive.

With integration and the right strategies, we can increase access to housing, early childhood development services, and other wraparound support services for expectant parents and families with infants and toddlers.

When families have safe, stable housing—safe shelter when they need it—access to high-quality early development programs, and other supports that meet their needs, young children have a strong foundation to grow. It’s time to unite the early childhood, housing, and homelessness sectors to build a coordinated, holistic support system for infants, toddlers, expectant parents, and their families. A system that can ultimately prevent homelessness in the first place. This means:

Connected
systems

Health, homelessness, housing, and early childhood services must be connected so families with infants and toddlers can get the full range of support they need.

Everyone on the
same team

Everyone—from shelter and housing providers to healthcare workers and early childhood providers—must work together to advance practices and policies that support infants, toddlers, and expectant parents.

Easy access
to support

Expectant parents and families easily receive referrals to access shelter, housing, and services.

About Us

We are leading organizations across the early childhood, housing, and homelessness systems dedicated to ensuring all expectant parents, infants, toddlers, and their families have the resources and opportunities to thrive.

Coalition members

1 SchoolHouse Connection. (2025). Infant & Toddler Homelessness Across 50 states: 2022-2023. https://schoolhouseconnection.org/article/infant-and-toddler-homelessness

2 Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2025). Brain architecture. https://developingchild.harvard.edu/key-concept/brain-architecture/

3 McGovern, M. E., Treglia, D., Eliason, E. L., Spishak-Thomas, A., & Cantor, J. C. (2024). Homelessness and maternal and infant health. JAMA Network Open, 7(11), e2442596. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.42596

Resources

Featured

Filter Resources

Page 1 / 2

Partner Resource

Thrive From the Start Policy Agenda

May 1, 2025

A policy-driven roadmap for solving infant and toddler homelessness

Report

Infant and Toddler Homelessness Across 50 States: 2022-2023

April 30, 2025

SchoolHouse Connection’s second annual 50-state report on infant and toddler homelessness.

Fact Sheet

Thrive From the Start Informational One-Pager

April 2, 2025

A downloadable one-pager on cross-sector solutions to address infant and toddler homelessness.

Partner Resource

Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center

March 31, 2025

A hub for research-driven policies that shape early childhood outcomes—including for infants and toddlers experiencing homelessness.

Article

Child Care for Children Experiencing Homelessness: What States Need to Know and Do

March 26, 2025

A SchoolHouse Connection guide to how states are meeting federal child care requirements for children and families facing homelessness.

Report

2024 Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap

October 22, 2024

A data-driven guide to effective state policies that support infants, toddlers, and families.

Report

We Envision

October 3, 2024

Council of Large Public Housing Authorities marks 10 years of Housing Is, an initiative driving cross-sector solutions in housing, health, education, and equity.

Article

Connecting Our Youngest Children to Early Childhood Partners

August 26, 2024

A SchoolHouse Connection resource focused on linking young children experiencing homelessness to critical early childhood programs and services.

Article

Supporting Infants, Toddlers, and Families Experiencing Homelessness

August 13, 2024

SchoolHouse Connection explores how early childhood providers can help mitigate the effects of homelessness through education, partnerships, and targeted support.

Partner Resource

A Theory of Change for Primary Prevention in the U.S.

April 26, 2024

A Prevent Child Abuse America framework for advancing primary prevention strategies that strengthen families and communities nationwide.

Report

Infant and Toddler Homelessness Across 50 States: 2021-2022

March 20, 2024

SchoolHouse Connection’s most comprehensive report on infant and toddler homelessness, featuring the first-ever state-by-state data collection.

Report

State of Babies Yearbook

September 27, 2023

ZERO TO THREE’s Yearbook offers a national and state-by-state snapshot of how babies are faring for a strong start in life.