Cause and Effect Essays

Perhaps the most direct consequence of homelessness is the separation of children from their parents. Wright suggests that while most homeless families have dependent children, only about half have their children living with them. This is attributed to several factors. Anticipating homelessness, some parents voluntarily place their children in foster care directly prior to their episode of homelessness; other children are removed from families because of abuse cause and effect essays neglect, homelessness often being considered a form of neglect. Homeless facility requirements may also inadvertently contribute to family dissolution. Many family shelters have eligibility requirements, the most frequently cited restriction is the refusal to accept adolescent males, or any males over the age of fourteen, including fathers. One result of these regulations is that many older homeless children leave their families and try to make it on their own. Research on homeless children and families suggests that they appear particularly vulnerable to psychological, emotional, and developmental risk. Housing assistance alone may not be sufficient to guarantee either long-term, independent living, or the healthy child and family development that likely have been compromised by episodes of homelessness