The Impact of Homelessness on Childhood Stress and Resilience

Through volunteer experiences at Restoration Urban Ministry’s Homework Hangout Program, this student interacted with homeless children. That experience, paired with a review of research on the effects of homelessness on children, leads her to conclude that, although stress can have serious negative consequences in the biological, cognitive, and psychosocial realms of development, some children exhibit resiliency and are able to reduce the effects of stress. Suggests that stress produced by homelessness can be minimized through prevention and intervention such as fostering healthy parent-child relationships, providing practical services and health screenings can all create and nurture resilience in children