Our House e-newsletter July 2012 | Page 28

When mom is out of options, she sends her kids to live with a relative. They switch schools again. They are separated from their parent. They have no friends. Their teachers do not know their names. Children who face homelessness get behind in school. More than a third repeat a grade. They have emotional and physical health problems. And by age 12, 83% have been exposed to at least one serious violent event. At the Central Arkansas Family Stability Institute at Our House, we will partner with families before they become homeless. We will wrap them in support, coaching them through the obstacles they face that could lead to homelessness and preparing them for long-term stability and success.