Nearly 3 million U.S. children face eviction each year

As we reflect on and celebrate Black History Month, Child Trends compiled a phenomenal 100-year review of research on Black families.

QUOTABLE & NOTABLE

“The first year of life is also a time when a lot can and often does go very wrong. The Survey of Household Economics and Decision-Making identified a child’s first year as a time when parents reported being financially worse off and denied credit. The first year of life is also the age when a person in the U.S. is most likely to experience homelessness and also to enter foster care.

The chronic stress stemming from adverse events like these may be especially harmful during a child’s early years, when a child’s brain grows most rapidly and consistent, positive relationships with caretakers are particularly important to healthy development.

Even a little more cash during this tenuous time of transition may go an unusually long way to protecting financially strapped families from derailing, potentially devastating events like eviction or unemployment, which can snowball.”

Who:

Kendra Hurley

Where: “New Studies Illuminate Why We Should Invest in New Parents,” published by Early Learning Nation

FACT OF THE WEEK

A study published in October of 2023 linked millions of eviction records in the U.S. to Census Bureau data to better understand the demographics of Americans facing eviction. An op-ed published by CNN describes the alarming number of children in households experiencing eviction — nearly 3 million children each year. Families with children have higher rates of eviction than those without, and a disproportionate number are Black children.

POLICY RADAR

Ohio

Ohio Capital Journal describes a bill proposed last year (passed out of the Ohio House and still awaiting action in the Senate) that would allow candidates for election to spend campaign funds on child care expenses. Thirty other states have such a provision.

Federal

Representatives in the U.S. House are trying to make child care more affordable through the newly proposed Promoting Affordable Child Care for Everyone (PACE) Act. First Five Years Fund explains the specifics of the bill here.

EVENTS & HAPPENINGS

Health Policy Institute of Ohio will host a webinar on Wednesday, February 28 at 11:30 a.m. on preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) — part of ongoing efforts from the organization's Ohio ACEs Impact Project. Learn more and register here.

BEYOND THE BUCKEYE STATE

The National Association of State Boards of Education published a policy brief outlining state investments and improvements made in early childhood education in 2023.

The overwhelming majority of state governors who have delivered their State of the State speeches thus far in 2024 — both Republicans and Democrats — have discussed the importance of child care and early learning in their executive address.

WHAT WE'RE READING

Ohio continues to reach impressive milestones with its Dolly Parton Imagination Library program. As noted here, it has the most children enrolled in the book distribution program among all U.S. states.

EdSurge interviews sociologist Dr. Casey Stockstill about her research and new book, False Starts: The Segregated Lives of Preschoolers. She describes the differences observed between quality preschool settings that serve children primarily living in poverty and those at private centers. These differences included time spent reading, the presence of challenging behaviors to manage, the stability of enrollment, teacher time spent on paperwork and requirements, and more.

This edition was written by Jamie O’Leary.

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