A shocking number: 14,981 homeless children counted in Tarrant County
Poverty, a lack of transportation, a lack of affordable housing and a lack of child care are contributing to the homelessness of 14,981 Tarrant County children under 18, according to a study released by the Center for Transforming Lives.
Of those homeless children, an estimated 7,400 are under the age of 6.
Carol Klocek, CEO for the Center for Transforming Lives said the report findings are “sobering.” The center, also known as CTL, is based in downown Fort Worth and was formerly the YWCA. It provides anti-poverty programs for women and children in Tarrant County.
“It’s a horrifying number when you think about what that means for the children and for our community,” Klocek said, explaining that addressing homelessness is also key to tackling issues such as child abuse and neglect and childhood literacy.
Homeless children are vulnerable to trauma, chronic stress or violence, the report states, adding that the effects on the brains of developing children are long-lasting and can create problems at home and school.
The figures were detailed in the report, “The Hidden Homeless: Early Childhood Homelessness in Tarrant County.” It counts children staying in other people’s homes, motels, shelters or cars.
The report is also a call to action for children and homelessness advocates who united to find out how many Tarrant County children are homeless and how to get them help.
Klocek said they want to create a facility — that is not an emergency center — for homeless families to live and get help. Plans call for seeking donations for initial support that can be blended with public dollars.
“We are getting this report in front of city, county and state leaders,” Klocek said, adding that they are also reaching out to foundations and community groups.
‘A shocking number’
The 14,981 count is far higher than the 282 of homeless children recorded by Tarrant County Homeless Coalition in 2018. The latter tally represents children living in shelters or found in camps.
This report’s data aligns more closely with how the U.S. Department of Education defines homeless children and youths.
“This is a shocking number — enough to fill 27 of FWISD’s elementary schools to capacity,” the report states.
The report data is based U.S. Census data, research by the National Center on Family Homelessness and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Tarrant County school district homeless numbers.
The report results are also a sign that much work remains in addressing the issue of childhood homelessness. While there are emergency shelters for families and women, Klocek said they want offer a program that lifts children out of homelessness permanently.
Klocek’s Center for Transforming Lives offers emergency shelter to single women, transitional housing for families and re-housing for families.
“Those are not long term,” she said.
Advocates are now working on a pilot program that links homeless families to the programs and resources, including housing, child care, employment and transportation needs. They are working with the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition to focus on solutions for families, Klocek said.
They are also pushing lawmakers to support affordable housing and child care options for struggling families while reaching out to the faith-based community.
“This is not about the work of one agency, but of the community coming together,” Klocek said.
‘Hidden homelessness’
This project began as a task force several years ago and has evolved into the Coalition for Homeless Children. Klocek said they wanted to examine homelessness through the “lens” of children.
Klocek said they found a “hidden homelessness.”
“We think we know what we are seeing , but we don’t know what we are seeing,” she said, adding: “These families don’t want to be found, but the place they are most likely to be recognized as homeless is in the school district. This has an enormous impact on schools.”
Klocek said homeless children are disconnected from larger society while parents struggle. She described one mother who slept in a parking lot with her 18-month-old and 6-month-old and another couple that didn’t have permanent housing.
The wife had full-time work for six years, but still the family was on-and-off of homelessness. At one point, the couple was living with five children and in-laws in a one bedroom apartment, Klocek said.
When advocates reached out to the mother, she said she didn’t think she was homeless.
“Homeless is that man on the corner. It’s not me,” she said.
