Funded Projects

Reinforcing Health Equity Around Childhood Homelessness

Project Year

2022

City & State

Cincinnati, Ohio

Program Name

CATCH Resident

Topic

Homeless Care

Program Description

Problem: Nearly 2.5 million children in the U.S. experienced homelessness in 2012-13.(2) In the Greater Cincinnati area (Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky) there are more than 8,000 children who experience homelessness each year.(3) In Cincinnati, Ohio, children affected by homelessness make up ~10% of the homeless population, with nearly half of children living in poverty.(4,5) In Kentucky, the number of children experiencing homelessness is above the national average with about 1 in 14 children under age six who are homeless.(6,7) Children experiencing homelessness may have several unmet health needs due to barriers accessing care and lack of resources. They are at higher risk for poor health outcomes including higher rates of health problems, dental caries, malnutrition, and obesity. As pediatricians, we can address barriers posed by homelessness and have a positive effect on health outcomes.(1) Primary Setting/Number of Children Affected: ~100 children participate in UpSpring’s Summer 360 camp, serving the Greater Cincinnati area. Project Goal: Address unmet health needs among children experiencing homelessness through the implementation of a new community-based healthcare initiative, REACH, at UpSpring’s Summer 360 camp. Through REACH we plan to provide on-site well-child care and routine health screenings, facilitate connections between families and local resources based on the needs identified in our initial assessment, and educate children experiencing homelessness on common health-related needs so they feel empowered to advocate for their own health and wellbeing. This proposal is in line with the Council on Community Pediatrics call as it will address the social determinants of health for participating children. Proposed Intervention: Our proposed intervention includes developing a process for a community-based health initiative (REACH) that addresses identified health needs of children experiencing homelessness. We will use a needs assessment and AAP practice recommendations to design REACH and address health needs of children experiencing homelessness. The AAP recommends 1) helping families establish a stable source of quality healthcare while acknowledging barriers to care, 2) helping facilitate connections to services and resources, and 3) that pediatricians familiarize themselves with the best practices for care and management of diseases in the homeless population. To achieve the first recommendation, we plan to facilitate on-site encounters with a healthcare provider during UpSpring’s Summer 360 camp that focuses on well-child care and routine screening. We will help families who lack a primary care provider with one in their local community. To achieve the second recommendation, we will provide targeted assistance to community resources (i.e., food pantries, emergency shelters, Medicaid enrollment) for families with social needs. We have the support of CCHMC social work and medical-legal partnership to help with this endeavor. To achieve the third recommendation, we will design a resident-led educational series for campers that prioritizes common health-related needs of children experiencing homelessness (e.g, oral and mental health). To design this educational series, residents in the CCHMC Advocacy Interest Group will partner with the CCHMC divisions of dentistry, nutrition, and psychology for guidance. This experience will increase resident exposure to the health needs of the children experiencing homelessness. To evaluate REACH we will distribute pre/post surveys, exit assessments, and conduct a focus group with UpSpring 360 staff. We will use the data collected to adapt REACH to effectively meet the needs of this population. Anticipated Outcomes: We anticipate this project will improve health outcomes and access to care among children experiencing homelessness in the Greater Cincinnati region. Our outcome for the needs assessment is completion by ≥75% of families served by UpSpring’s Summer 360 camp. Our next outcome is that we will assist ≥90% of families with identified needs.

Project Goal

Address unmet health needs among children experiencing homelessness through the implementation of a new community-based healthcare initiative called REACH at UpSpring’s 2022 Summer 360 camp.

Project Objective 1

Complete a health needs assessment of ≥75% of the families served by the UpSpring’s 2022 Summer 360 camp by June 6, 2022.

Project Objective 2

Design a process to pilot REACH which will include on-site well-child care and routine health screenings, resident-lead health curriculum, and facilitation of connections between families and local resources and through REACH assist >90% of families with identified needs at UpSpring’s 2022 Summer 360 camp by June 10, 2022.

Project Objective 3

Evaluate the impact of REACH using an exit assessment (families) and pre/post surveys (camp participants) of ≥75% of participants by August 1, 2022.

AAP District

District V

Institutional Name

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Contact 1

Saige Camara

Contact 2

Elizabeth Lendrum

Contact 3

Kristen Peterson