Parent, Staff, and Stakeholder Perspectives on Implementation of a Housing Support Initiative in a Head Start Program

This study used a qualitative research design to investigate the key components, infrastructure, processes, and facilitators involved in the implementation of Pathways Home Early Childhood, a housing support pilot program implemented within a Head Start grantee for families facing homelessness, as well as how participating parents experienced the program. We held parent interviews, a staff focus group, and stakeholder interviews with a total of 22 informants, followed by thematic analysis and a member-checking group. Findings include salient guidance for similar efforts to screen for homelessness and provide support and navigation to families. Themes included positive and negative experiences of families in obtaining housing; infrastructure needed to develop and sustain a housing program within Head Start; critical factors for successful implementation; and economic and psychological benefits for enrolled families. These findings are consistent with limited prior research on housing voucher programs for families with children and point to opportunities for program refinement and future evaluation efforts.