This document discusses trends in child homelessness in Europe. It notes that child homelessness can take different forms, including children in homeless families, unaccompanied homeless youth, and children leaving state institutions. The causes of child homelessness are complex and can include structural, institutional, relational, and personal factors. Policies aimed at preventing and addressing child homelessness generally focus on primary prevention through general welfare policies and secondary prevention through more targeted homeless, youth, and family policies.

1. Child Homelessness in Europe
Zaragoza 2007

2. Background
- European thematic year on child poverty
2007
- FEANTSA contribution on child
homelessness
- Aim : stocktaking of current trends in
child homelessness in Europe

3. Different perceptions of the problem
across Europe
- Terms: homeless youth, drifting youths,
street youths, children in state care,
unaccompanied minors, runaway youths,
survivors of domestic violence living in
specialist shelters
- Approaches to the problem: housing,
urban, social, migration

4. Target population of stocktaking
- Looking at children in the ETHOS living
situations
- Child (rather than youth) homelessness
- Children: under 18
- Unaccompanied or in homeless families
- European or non-European
- Homeless or at risk of homelessness

5. Trends I :
Children in homeless families
- Children in families living in temporary
shelters
- Children with their mothers living in
domestic violence refuges
- Children in families threatened with
eviction
- Children in families living in very poor
housing conditions

6. Trends II:
Unaccompanied homeless adolescents
- Homeless adolescents
- Runaway or throwaway youths
- Unaccompanied minors
- Children leaving institutions

7. Reasons for child homelessness
- Structural factors
- Institutional factors
- Relational factors
- Personal factors

8. Needs of children who are homeless
- Housing needs
- Health needs
- Financial needs
- Education needs
- Social needs

9. Policies: Primary prevention
General welfare policies :
- Social security (or social protection)
- Housing
- Education
- Health

10. Policies: secondary prevention
Targeted policies:
- Homelessness policies
- Youth/family policies
- Domestic violence policies
- Justice and home affairs policies

11. Conclusions
- Children chronically experiencing homelessness
only an emerging phenomenon
- More prevention is needed to catch the problems
early
- Need to reach out to children to avoid cycle of
homelessness
- Child homelessness cannot be tackled in
isolation from family/adult homelessness
- Children in homeless services need to be seen as
client in their own right

12. Questions?
Contact: liz.gosme@feantsa.org
or visit www.feantsa.org
Thank you!