Independence Day means a lot to The Journey Home. Regaining independence after being homeless, especially for a single parent with their kids, can be the most important day of their lives. Breaking the cycle of generational homelessness is something that is rarely thought of. However, it’s the key to changing lives.
A child’s chance of healthy development declines with each traumatic event that they experience during their developmental years. This trauma can include homelessness, divorce, the death of a parent, a parent being incarcerated, scarcity, poverty among many other adverse childhood experiences. These events cause families to lose hope complicating their situation even more.
Research has shown that when a child experiences three or more of these traumatic events during their childhood, they are less likely to graduate from high school, raise a healthy family, and are more likely to become dependent on public systems for housing, emergency care, healthcare, and many other services.
However, if a family is rehoused within the first three months of becoming homeless, these long-term effects are minimized, and their need for public resources is significantly reduced while also relieving the taxpayer’s burden.
Join us in celebrating each family who is celebrating their own personal Independence Day.