Children Living in Temporary Shelters : How Homelessness Effects Their Perception of Home Book

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Many variables impact the perception of children ages six to eleven. In this study, a model comprised of selected critical developmental and social characteristics was created to identify, examine, and measure factors that influence the view of home for a sample of children sheltered with homeless single-parent families, for anywhere from one to 36 months.

Analyses of the respondents' scale score, which represent different intensities of the childrens' impression of home, reveals the absence of consistent health care and deficient positive peer interaction in the shelter and school environment as factors that influence the childrens' view of home. The findings support developmental theories and research that identify conditions critical for the positive growth of children during this age period: good health and positive peer relations. For the children in this study, the instability of shelter living impedes the maintenance of health care, and ashortage of peer interaction influences the childrens' ideal image of home.

The book also presents an effective way to investigate and measure a view of homelessness through self-report of children who are members of the homeless single-parent family population.