DrawBridge Children

The average age of a homeless person in America is nine. An estimated 44,000 children in 66,000 Bay Area families were homeless in 2005. Homeless children commonly experience loss, anger, depression, hopelessness, and isolation. These emotions have an overwhelmingly negative impact on children. Ideally, increased support would be provided during this time, but the reality is that there are few outlets for the emotional needs of children in shelters.

Shelters focus on the survival needs of parents. Parents are unable to provide the extra support needed by their children because their own emotional resources are depleted in a time of crisis.

The children, sensing the parents' stress, often subjugate their own needs. At school, homeless children often begin a cycle of poor performance that has severe long-term effects.

What Homeless Children Experience at DrawBridge

Through art, children can release the build-up of potentially destructive emotions. The nonjudgmental and loving support of the DrawBridge staff enables the children to rebuild a sense of control and self-worth. Trained facilitators use art to transform self-hate into self-respect, violence into compassion, and powerlessness into active participation.

The children put into images feelings they are unable to speak. Slowly, their stories emerge and their voices are heard. The art facilitator is then able to begin a much needed process of communication between the child and their parents, shelter staff, the schools, and the larger community. DrawBridge reaches hundreds of children in shelters each year.

Facts on Homelessness

Homeless children were more concerned than non-homeless children about adult responsibilities. A seven-year-old boy at one shelter worried that "My mom and dad don't have enough money for food."

Another eight-year-old girl told us, "I worry about getting clothes and something to eat." Forty percent of the homeless children expressed concern about their parents and other family members rather than about themselves. "I worry about my mom always having stress on herself," explained a nine-year-old homeless girl.

Homeless children were survival-oriented. When they asked to make three wishes, they did not escape into fantasy. Their wishes were concrete, with 36 percent of their wishes emphasizing basic needs like shelter and income, and 16 percent oriented towards the well-being of other family members. One nine-year-old boy simply wished for a car, beds, and a kitchen for his family. Another twelve-year-old boy had one wish. "I wish we could be less poor. Not rich. But have enough to eat."

Despite their problems, homeless children were more likely to be compassionate than to be hardened. Their hardships seemed to give them a higher level of compassion for human suffering. Many of the children expressed a strong desire to help others in need and to create a better world. A homeless mother told the following story: "When we were walking down the street one day (while homeless), my little boy asked me, 'Mommy, can I have 30 cents?' I asked, 'Why?' He said, 'I want to give it to this homeless man.' I gave him the 30 cents, even though I only had $1.30."

Homeless children seldom reported playing with their parents or having fun with family members. When asked about their most recent memory of a family outing, we heard responses like, "Six months ago we went to the park." Indeed, 20 percent of the children reported that their most recent family activity happened over a year ago.

~ An Excerpt From The Stanford Studies of Homeless Families, Children & Youth, November 1991

“The average age of a homeless person in the United States is 9 years old.” ~ The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless “1.3 million runaway and homeless youth in the United States.” ~ National Runaway Switchboard “Of the 3.5 million people who are homeless in the US, 39% (1.35 million) of which are children.” ~ Urban Institute 2000/National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2004 “Over the course of a year, between 2.3 and 3.5 million people experience homelessness nationwide.” “Children experiencing homelessness often feel like outsiders and have difficulty maintaining friendships due to frequent moves. Their lives feel out of control and they often experience anxiety and depression as a result. “42% of children and youth experiencing homelessness are below the age of 5.” ~ US Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

“Families with children constitute approximately 40% of people who become homeless.” ~ National Coalition for the Homeless: Washington, DC 97% of homeless children move up to three times a year. 40% of homeless children do not attend school, and the ones that do average 4 schools a year. 85% of homeless families are headed by a young, single mother with two children under the age of 6. Her average annual income is $8,000. An estimated 350,000 people in California are homeless. 4.6 million Californians live in poverty. It is estimated that almost half of the children in shelters are under the age of five. ~ Homes for the Homelessness: New York, 1998 In California, an estimated 220,000 youth under the age of 19 are homeless each year. ~ California Department of Education, 1999