The Montefiore Community Children's Project: A controlled study of cognitive and emotional problems of homeless mothers and children

Objectives. This study compares the prevalence of emotional, academic, and cognitive impairment in children and mothers living in the community with t hose living in shelters for the homeless. Method. In New York City, 82 homeless mothers and their 102 children, aged 6 to 11, recruited from family shelters were compared to 115 nonhomeless mo thers with 176 children recruited from classmates of the homeless children. Assessments included:standardized tests and interviews. Results. Mothers in shelters for the homeless showed higher rates of depres sion and anxiety than did nonhomeless mothers. Boys in homeless shelters sh owed higher rates of serious emotional and behavioral problems. Both boys a nd girls in homeless shelters showed more academic problems than did nonhom eless children. Conclusion. Study findings suggest a need among homeless children for speci al attention to academic problems that are not attributable to intellectual deficits in either children or their mothers. Although high rates of emoti onal and behavioral problems characterized poor children Living in both set tings, boys in shelters for the homeless may be particularly in need of pro fessional attention.