Curriculum for Horizons for Homeless Children.Hals

BROADENING HORIZONS
A PROGRAM OF TRAINING
AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
OFFERED BY HORIZONS FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN
Photography courtesy of Jacquie Spector

OVERVIEW OF TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
HORIZONS FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN
Horizons for Homeless Children (HHC) is a Massachusetts-based non-profit
organization specializing in programming to meet the needs of young children and
their parents experiencing homelessness. It operates innovative child focused
programs across Massachusetts in partnership with shelter and housing
organizations.
TRAINING
On a national scale, HHC works to replicate its flexible program models in various
contexts in other parts of the U.S.A. The agency shares best practices, lessons
learned, research findings, staff training frameworks, and childcare systems-
navigation approaches with audiences in the childcare and end-to-homelessness
arenas nationwide. Towards this end, HHC offers thematic workshops, available in
half day and full day formats, to diverse audiences. Each workshop is tailored to
meet the needs of a group of organizations, schools, or network of service providers.
All workshops are taught by HHC in-house experts who are seasoned practitioners in
the workshop content areas.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
On a national scale, HHC works to replicate its flexible program models in various
contexts in other parts of the U.S.A. Towards this end, HHC offers direct and
individualized technical assistance consulting that is individually tailored to the
needs of each client. All technical assistance is provided by HHC in-house experts
who are seasoned practitioners in the implementation of HHC programs. Technical
assistance includes consultations, sites visits, assessments, program development
assistance, and ongoing coaching and capacity building.
WHO TO CONTACT
To schedule a workshop/request technical assistance for your organization, contact:
Chelsea Goldstein-Walsh
Administrative Assistance
Horizons for Homeless Children
1705 Columbus Avenue, Roxbury, MA 02119
T 617.553.5455
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WORKSHOP SERIES 3
COURSE CATALOG 4
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
MODALITIES 13
PANEL OF EXPERTS 14

DIVERSE TRAINING
FORMATS
On-site workshops in early
care and education settings
On-site workshops in shelters,
housing settings, homeless
service settings
Regional workshops for
non-profit homeless/
housing organizations
Regional workshops
Workshops and national
and local conferences
Site-based workshops
at organizations and
childcare settings
TRAINING CHOICES
1. LET THE RUMPUS START
HOW AND WHY DEVELOP PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN IN HOMELESSNESS,
AND THEIR PARENTS THAT FOSTER PLAY, DEVELOPMENT AND RESILIENCE
2. GIVE PLAY BACK
HOW TO DEVELOP PLAYSPACES LINKED TO SHELTERS, TRANSITIONAL HOUSING,
RAPID RE-HOUSING
3. MAKE NOISE
HOW EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS CAN BEST MEET THE NEEDS
OF YOUNG CHILDREN IN HOMELESSNESS
4. A CHILD-FRIENDLY PLACE
HOW TO DESIGN AND ENHANCE PHYSICAL SPACES, IN HOMELESS SHELTERS,
HOUSING SETTINGS, AND EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE SETTINGS, THAT
ENCOURAGE CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND FOSTER FAMILY RESILIENCE
5. HARDEST JOB IN THE WORLD
CREATING PARENTING SUPPORT PROGRAMS TO SERVE FAMILIES
EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
6. PROVE IT
HOW TO BUILD EXPERT EVALUATION INTO PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG
CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS WHO EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS
7. IT’S MINE
HOW TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO CHILDCARE FOR FAMILIES IN HOMELESSNESS
AND MAP ADVOCACY AGENDAS FOR IMPROVING SUCH ACCESS IN THEIR STATES
8. CAN I BUY THAT?
HOW TO FUNDRAISE AND ESTIMATE COSTS FOR THE FINANCING OF EARLY CARE,
PARENTING SUPPORT PROGRAMS TARGETED TO YOUNG CHILDREN IN HOMELESSNESS
WORKSHOP SERIES

LET THE RUMPUS START | HOW AND WHY DEVELOP PROGRAMS
FOR YOUNG CHILDREN IN HOMELESSNESS AND THEIR PARENTS
THAT FOSTER PLAY, DEVELOPMENT AND RESILIENCE
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
This workshop is a comprehensive introduction and overview of all of HHC’s
replicable national program models for addressing the unique needs of
young children experiencing homelessness and supporting parents’
resilience during re-housing transitions. Program models presented in this
workshop support children and parents while in shelters and throughout
their transition to stable housing. These models include Playspaces that are
collocated with shelter and housing, early care and education programs
with a homelessness specialty, parenting support programs, home visiting
and after-care for re-housed families, and systems navigation for childcare
access strategies.
• Developmental
challenges for young
children in homelessness
• Protective factors that
insulate children from
risks
• Best practices to support
child development
• Best practices to support
family resilience
• Essential competencies
for child-center
programs
• Training frameworks for
direct service providers
• Modules on each of
HHC program models
• Program start-up and
fundraising approaches
• Program evaluation
methods
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
• Early Care and Education
Providers
• Family Shelter Providers
• Domestic Violence
Organizations
• Rapid Re-housing
Programs
• Transitional and
Supportive Housing
Providers
• Stabilization and
Homelessness Prevention
Agencies
• Local Government
Administrators of Shelter
and Housing
Administrators of Early
Care and Education
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
1
• Half-day workshop
• Curriculum binder provided
• Follow-up technical assistance offered
FORMAT

GIVE PLAY BACK | HOW TO DEVELOP PLAYSPACES LINKED
TO SHELTERS, TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, RAPID RE-HOUSING
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
This workshop is an in-depth exploration of the HHC’s national model of
Playspaces that are linked with family shelters, residences for survivors of
domestic violence, transitional housing, or scattered site re-housing
programs. Playspaces are a resource for encouraging play, development,
and resilience for children facing the critical challenge of homelessness in
their young lives. Playspaces are uniquely suited to meet the unique needs
of children lacking permanent homes. Developed 20 years ago, HHC
currently operates 29 Playspaces across Massachusetts and has inspired
their replication in multiple other states. This workshop also shares HHC’s
low cost method of harnessing volunteers to make Playspaces a highly
economical program model.
• Benefits of Playspaces
for young children
• Design and space
considerations
• Volunteer recruitment,
training, retention
• Scheduling
• Oversight and
management
• Key factors of an
effective Playspaces
• Effective shelter/housing
partnerships
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
Providers
Organizations
Programs
Supportive Housing
Providers
Agencies
and Housing
Care and Education
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
2
FORMAT

MAKE NOISE | HOW EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS
CAN BEST MEET THE NEEDS OF YOUNG CHILDREN IN HOMELESSNESS
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
This workshop is an in-depth exploration of HHC’S replicable models and
best practices for designing and staffing early care and education settings
to meet the specific and unique needs of young children in homelessness.
HHC operates three full service Community Children’s Centers for this child
population in Massachusetts that coordinate with shelters and housing
agencies across the state. Since 1994, the Community Children's Centers
have provided comprehensive, full-time early care and education.
Today, 175 children have a place to learn, play, explore, build social skills
and to just be kids despite their family’s housing crisis. The lessons learned,
best practices, staffing patterns, and training approaches developed by
these centers are replicable in any early care and education setting where
young children attend who are at risk of homelessness or are currently
experiencing a housing crisis.
• Developmental
challenges for young
children in homelessness
• Trauma informed
early care
• High quality early care
in practice
• Curriculum design
recommendations
• Staffing patterns
recommendations
• Staff training
frameworks
• Fundraising for
services for children
in homelessness
• Parenting support
models
• Home visiting models
for families exiting
homelessness
• Data gathering on
program outcomes
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
Providers
• Teachers, Aides,
Administrators
Care and Education
• Advocacy Organizations
for Young Children
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
3
FORMAT

A CHILD-FRIENDLY PLACE | HOW TO DESIGN AND ENHANCE
PHYSICAL SPACES, IN HOMELESS SHELTERS, HOUSING SETTINGS,
AND EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE SETTINGS, TO ENCOURAGE
CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND FOSTER FAMILY RESILIENCE
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
This workshop is an exploration of HHC’s replicable approaches to
designing physical spaces to best meet the needs of young children
experiencing homelessness or on a re-housing journey. HHC uses sensitive
design practices for its own Playspaces in family shelters and its three
Community Children’s Centers. These design practices are replicable in any
setting where children experiencing homelessness reside including
shelters, residences for survivors of domestic violence, re-housing settings,
and early care and education programs. When deliberate measures are
taken to ensure the child-friendliness of such physical spaces, young
children are better protected from the developmental risks of homelessness
and insulated by essential protective factors. HHC’s recommendations for
the sensitive design of physical spaces also enhance nuclear family life and,
in so doing, promote family resiliency.
• Soothing color schemes
and sound proofing
• Furnishings and floor
treatments
• Toddler physical play
space configurations
• Infant floor time space
configurations
• Literacy promoting
spaces and resources
• Spaces and amenities to
promote family time
• Public messages and
images on positive
parenting
• Mealtime and food
preparation space
designs
• Safety and health
recommendations
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
• Emergency Shelter
Providers
• Transitional Housing
Providers
• Re-housing and
Supportive Housing
Providers
Residence
Providers
• Service Agencies
Providing Post-
homelessness
Stabilization Support
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
4
FORMAT

HARDEST JOB IN THE WORLD | CREATING PARENTING SUPPORT
PROGRAMS TO SERVE FAMILIES EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
This workshop is an in-depth exploration of the HHC’ national model of
Parenting Support that is extended to heads-of-household in families
experiencing homelessness or in a re-housing transition. Parenting Support
can be developed as a flexible program element in childcare settings,
family shelters, and residences for survivors of domestic violence,
transitional housing, residential substance abuse settings, or scattered site
re-housing programs. Parenting Support facilitates positive parenting,
parent-child bonds, child development, and family resilience. HHC
developed its expertise in Parenting Support through the experiences of its
statewide team of parent support advocates deployed across
Massachusetts to work in conjunction with HHC Community Children’s
Centers, shelters, and other settings for families experiencing
homelessness.
• Program Models for
Parenting Support
Services
• Fostering Helping
Relationships with
Parents
• Experiential Family
Activities
• Parenting Education
Topics
• Fostering Parent-
child bonds
• Fostering Parents’
knowledge of own
children
• Basics of Early Childhood
Development Basics
• Positive Parenting
Messages and Images
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
• Homeless Shelters
for Families
• Transitional Housing and
Re-housing for Families
• Family Re-housing
and Supportive
Housing Providers
Care and Education
• Advocacy Organizations
for Young Children
5
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
FORMAT

PROVE IT! | HOW TO BUILD PROGRAM EVALUATION INTO
PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, AND THEIR PARENTS,
WHO EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
Horizons for Homeless Children developed its own program evaluation
methodology to study the impacts of service and early care and education
programs for families, with young children, experiencing homelessness.
This workshop shares HHC’s evaluation approach and data gathering tool
with organizations offering similar child and family-centered programs.
This framework systematically captures children’s developmental progress
in physical, emotional, and cognitive realms when they are supported with
HHC program models during their family’s trajectory through
homelessness. From this research experience, HHC developed its replicable
approach to integrating research methods into the every day work of
assisting vulnerable families. These methods, data gathering tools, and
evaluation frameworks are easily adapted to many multi-service and child
centered programs focusing on families.
• Horizons School
Readiness Framework
for evaluation
• Data gathering do’s
and don’ts
• Tailoring HHC’s
methodology to
fit your context
• Strategies for building
evaluation into day-to-
day workflow
• Methods to get such an
evaluation underway
• Financing evaluation
• Using outside
consultants to
implement evaluation
• Utilizing outcome data to
prove program efficacy
with wide audiences
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
• Directors and case
managers of shelter
organizations
• Directors and service
providers of transitional
and re-housing
programs
Homelessness
Prevention Agencies
Administrators of
Shelter and Housing
Care and Education
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
6
FORMAT

IT’S MINE | HOW TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO CHILDCARE FOR
FAMILIES IN HOMELESSNESS AND MAP ADVOCACY AGENDAS
FOR IMPROVING SUCH ACCESS IN THEIR STATES
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
Horizons for Homeless Children promotes access to childcare and related
social service programs for young children and their parents experiencing
homelessness and during their re-housing transitions. In Massachusetts,
HHC has successfully garnered public and private support to make the
provision of this early care and education accessible to many families
experiencing homelessness. On the state and federal level, HHC has a track
record of engaging policy makers in an agenda for promoting access and
problem solving access barriers to childcare on a wide scale. These
approaches to securing childcare and overcoming access barriers are
replicable to many organizations and providers. The concrete information
needed to facilitate seamless and continuous childcare access is often
missing from organizations and providers supporting families who are
homeless or regaining housing.
• Availability of
childcare for children
in homelessness
• Public funding streams
that pay for childcare
• Current trends in
funding childcare
• Systems navigation of
childcare programming
• Eligibility and
compliance
requirements
• State by state
variability in childcare
access challenges
• State specific trends
and systems
• Childcare access
policy agenda
• Policy and advocacy
tools and training
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
Providers with Dedicated
Homeless Slots
Providers Seeking
Dedicated Homeless Slots
• Shelter and Housing-
based Case Managers
• State and Local Advocacy
Organizations for
Homeless Families
• National Advocacy
Organizations for Young
Children
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
7
FORMAT

CAN I BUY THAT? | HOW TO ESTIMATE COSTS AND RAISE FUNDS
FOR CHILDCARE AND PARENTING SUPPORT PROGRAMS TARGETED
TO YOUNG CHILDREN IN HOMELESSNESS
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
Horizons for Homeless Children operates a myriad of innovative early care,
education, and support service programs for families experiencing
homelessness and during their re-housing transition. Dependable funding
sources are critical for the continued success and sustainability of HHC
programs. The agency has supported this steady expansion of programs,
primarily by charitable gifts from individuals, corporations and
foundation. Details of the HHC fundraising approach, which combines
public funds with a comprehensive private capital campaign, will be of
interest to many providers and organizations seeking to pay for child care
and parenting support services for young children and their parents
experiencing homelessness.
• Public sources of
funding for childcare
and parenting programs
• Private sources of
funding for childcare
and parenting programs
• Sources for tracking
public funding
opportunities
• Budgets and per unit
cost estimates for new
programs
• Successful private
fundraising mechanisms
for such programs
• Fundraising events
planning
• Direct mail fundraising
strategies
• Use of volunteers
to reduce costs
• Recommended
approaches to
integrating volunteers
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
Providers
Organizations
Programs
Supportive Housing
Providers
Agencies
and Housing
Care and Education
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
8
FORMAT

INDIVIDUALIZED CAPACITY BUILDING
1. ON-SITE EXPERT ASSESSMENTS
VISITS FROM HHC STAFF TO YOUR SHELTER, HOUSING PROGRAM, EARLY CARE AND
EDUCATION SETTING, OR SERVICE AGENCY. TAILORED TRAINING AND IN-SERVICE
EDUCATION FOR YOUR STAFF. ON-SITE ASSESSMENTS OF THE CAPACITY OF YOUR
PHYSICAL SPACES AND SERVICE APPROACHES TO MEET UNIQUE NEEDS OF YOUNG
CHILDREN IN HOMELESSNESS.
2. ACTION PLANS AND CONSULTATIONS
CREATION OF PLANS FOR PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT OR IMPROVEMENT. ON-SITE
OR OFF-SITE COACHING IN APPROACHES AND BEST PRACTICES FOR MEETING
DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS OF YOUNG CHILDREN IN HOMELESSNESS. REGULAR
CONSULTATIONS TO STAFF TEAMS ON TRAUMA-INFORMED APPROACHES AND
SUPPORTS FOR RESILIENT FAMILIES.
3. CHILD-CENTERED PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
ASSISTANCE IN REPLICATING HHC’S PROGRAM MODELS: PLAYSPACES, COMMUNITY
CHILDREN'S CENTERS, PARENTING SUPPORT PROGRAMS, AND HOME VISITING
SERVICES. SHARING OF HHC PROGRAM MODELS’ TOOLS, STAFFING PATTERNS,
AND VOLUNTEER SYSTEMS.
4. EVALUATION AND DATA GATHERING
COACHING AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT IN DEVELOPING AN EVALUATION PLAN,
METHODOLOGY, AND DATA GATHERING TOOL FOR CHILD-CENTERED PROGRAMS
WITHIN ANY HOMELESS SERVICE OR MULTI-SERVICE. PLANNING TO INTEGRATE
EVALUATION WITHIN YOUR FLOW OF SERVICE.
5. FUNDRAISING
EDUCATION ON HOW AND WHERE TO FIND PRIVATE AND PUBLIC FUNDING STREAMS
TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
COST ESTIMATES FOR REPLICATING HHC PROGRAM MODELS.
6. TOOLS AND REFERENCES
WORKBOOKS, GUIDES, REFERENCE MATERIALS, AND E-RESOURCES TO ASSIST YOUR
ORGANIZATION IN DEVELOPING AND IMPROVING PROGRAMS TO MEET THE NEEDS
OF YOUNG CHILDREN, AND THEIR FAMILIES, AT RISK FOR OR EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS.
POTENTIAL CLIENTS
Early care and education
providers
Family shelter providers
Residential substance abuse
treatment providers
Domestic violence
organizations
Rapid re-housing programs
Transitional and supportive
housing providers
Stabilization and homelessness
prevention agencies
Homeless continuum
Of care networks
Local government
administrators
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MODALITIES

EXPERTS
HHC’S workshops and technical assistance services are led by HHC in-house
experts on young children in homelessness. The experts have skills in
designing innovative, cost effective childcare, Playspaces, and parenting
support programs that foster child development and family resiliency. The
HHC faculty educate staff at both early care setting and homeless/housing
organizations to become in-house experts on the unique needs of young
children, best practices in providing them and their parents with skilled care
and services, and all aspects of replicating HHC nationally recognized
program models.
PROGRAM MODELS
• Specialty on homelessness integrated in mainstream childcare.
• Set aside childcare for children in homelessness
• Playspaces linked to shelter, housing, and/or homeless services.
• Parenting support and after-care home visiting.
• Program evaluation of early care and parenting supports.
• Childcare systems navigation and access strategy.
EXPERTISE
• Social emotional development of children in homelessness.
• Fluency on homeless experience and impacts for young children.
• Best practices in mainstream and specialized care settings.
• Place basing programs in homeless and re-housing arena.
• Access to childcare and policy/advocacy to expand opportunities.
• Harnessing voluntary sector.
• Evaluation design and methodology for care and parenting programs.
• Financing opportunities and fund raising for HHC models.
PANEL OF EXPERTS

NATHAN HUTTO, MSW is the Director of Evaluation and Innovation at HHC, where he oversees
strategic evaluation and research projects related to the education and support of young children
in homelessness and their families. Mr. Hutto is an expert in the design of early childhood program
evaluation, logic models, and outcomes-oriented information systems. He previously worked as a
researcher and educator at Columbia University, Teach for America, Public/Private Ventures,
Boston Public Schools, U.S. Peace Corps, and a Kosovo-based non-profit. Nathan holds a Masters
Degree in Social Work from Columbia University and is completing a PhD in Social Policy Analysis
at Columbia University.
KELLEY GOSSETT, J.D. is Director of Policy and Advocacy at HHC. Ms. Gossett was previously General
Counsel and Research Director for the Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government for
the State of Massachusetts. Ms. Gossett has extensive knowledge and expertise related to state
and federal policies that affect early education and care as these realms intersect with
homelessness. Ms. Gossett holds a Law Degree from Suffolk University Law School where she was a
legal advocate for the Child Advocacy Clinic.
SARAH FUJIWARA, M.ED, is Chief Playspace Programs Officer at HHC where she oversees the
agency’s unique statewide, shelter-based Playspaces. Ms. Fujiwara has expertise in the design and
development of programs for young children in homelessness that promote play, child
development, and family resiliency. Ms. Fujiwara was formerly at Work/Family Directions/Ceridian
where she served as Manager of the Business/Technology Team, Leader of a Client Team and as an
Early Childhood Counselor. She holds a Bachelors of Science degree from Wheelock College and a
Master’s Degree in Child Study from Tufts University.
ANDREA URBANO, M.A., is the Director of Center Based Programs at HHC. Ms. Urbano has been
involved in the field of Early Childhood Education for the past 30 years as a teacher, administrator,
trainer, advocate, state licensor and education consultant. Ms. Urbano received her Bachelor’s
Degree in Early Childhood Education from New York University and a Master’s Degree in Education
from Boston College. She completed a Masters program at the Erikson Institute and has been
trained at the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) as a
coach and module implementer.
FACULTY

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