Pregnant and Parenting Youth

This journal article looks at the service needs of young adults who are experiencing homelessness while they are also pregnant or parenting. The researchers used data from a survey of homeless and unstably housed young adults, ages 18 to 24, collected over four weeks to examine the characteristics, risk factors, and protective factors of homeless parents (n=109) compared with other homeless young adults (n=243). They further compared differences between mothers (n=61) and fathers (n=48). The study identifies unique risk factors and protective profiles for homeless parents and discusses the implications for service delivery needs of this subpopulation of homeless youth.

This is a third in a series of Research-to-Impact briefs by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago on understanding and addressing youth homelessness. This brief details the unique challenges faced by young people experiencing homelessness who are pregnant or parenting. The findings from this research indicate that the number of youth who are homeless and pregnant or parenting is substantial, which stands in stark contrast to the national decline in pregnancy and birth rates among both adolescents and young adults during the past two decades. Furthermore, many of these young parents are homeless with their children. These young people and their families are a particularly vulnerable population. Supporting this population is critical to ending homelessness among youth in the United States. (author abstract modified)