Introduction

In October 1993, the Head Start Bureau (HSB) of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families funded 16 Head Start grantees to develop and implement demonstration projects for homeless children and their families. The objectives of this initiative were to (1) enhance access of homeless families to Head Start services; (2) provide services responsive to the special needs of homeless children and families; (3) identify effective methods of addressing the needs of homeless families; and (4) implement and document replicable strategies for collaboration between Head Start programs and community agencies on behalf of homeless families. At the end of the three-year demonstration period, the HSB transitioned demonstration funds to the grantees' regular Head Start budgets to promote continuation of services for homeless families.

Based on reviews of the projects' final reports, as well as telephone discussions with project administrators, this report pro vides the following information:

• Characteristics of the demonstration projects and families served.
• Critical issues relevant to project implementation.
• Challenges encountered and effective practices with respect to each issue.
• Key lessons learned.