Early Intervention for Families and Children Experiencing Homelessness

Early intervention (EI) services are provided for families and children at risk for or with developmental delays. Early intervention includes services that are provided in the natural environment as mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA; 2004). The natural environment is where children and families would naturally spend their time and for most families, the natural environment is their home (S. A. Raver & D. C. Childress, 2015). There is an upward trend in the number of young children and families who are experiencing homelessness (National Center on Family Homelessness, 2016) and as a result, EI providers are providing services with families who do not have homes. The purpose of this qualitative study was to interview EI providers to highlight the conditions and characteristics of the natural environments where EI services are provided for families that are experiencing homelessness and to gather information about the barriers and beneficial practices for providing EI services with families that are experiencing homelessness. Implications for leaders in the field of EI, service delivery, systems change, and professional development are discussed.