Children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness have been largely left out of previous coronavirus legislation – yet they are at high risk of transmission, illness, and other harms.
The Emergency Family Stabilization Act fills the gap by providing flexible emergency funding to the agencies that are closest to children, youth, and families. Helping children, youth, and families through the systems to which they are most connected will stabilize them quicker and more effectively, and prevent long-term homelessness.
Send a message to your Senators urging them to cosponsor the Emergency Family Stabilization Act and ensure it is included in the next coronavirus relief package!
What the Emergency Family Stabilization Act Does
- Creates a new emergency funding stream through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for local agencies that currently receive ACF grants, or have experience in serving children, families, and unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness, as defined by the education subtitle of the McKinney-Vento Act.
- Provides $800 million in direct flexible funding to meet the unique needs of children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness in the wake of the coronavirus.
- Gives special consideration to programs serving families and youth who face barriers in accessing homeless services, as well as the needs of pregnant women, pregnant and parenting youth, children under age 6, children with disabilities, families experiencing domestic violence, survivors of sexual assault or human trafficking, and historically marginalized and underserved communities of color.
- Permits funds to be used for a wide range of emergency housing, health, education, and safety-related activities, including but not limited to purchasing PPE, food, hygiene supplies, mental health services, transportation services, emergency child care, communications and connectivity needs, education, training, and employment-related needs, eviction prevention, motel stays, assistance in seeking housing placements, assistance in accessing unemployment and other federal benefits.
- Sets aside specific funding for tribes, tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations and ensures funds are distributed to urban, rural, and suburban areas.
