The New Sisters of the Road: Homeless Women and Their Children

ABSTRACT

This article examines the growing social problem of homeless women and their children. It provides a historical perspective, reasons for the increased incidence of family homelessness, the negative effects of homelessness on women and children, and programmatic responses. It also makes recommendations for effective program services and policy reforms. It urges family social workers to adopt a policy advocacy orientation. The article concludes that there is a need for further research to separate causes from effects when studying homeless women and children, and that researchers need to attend to the significance of gender for the social problem of family homelessness.