Children and Homelessness

Abstract

All children deserve to have a place they can call home. Somewhere they feel safe, warm and protected. Homeless children are one of the most marginalised groups of children in Ireland. Children become homeless when a number of different life events merge but the overall root cause is poverty. Children experience both ‘hidden’ and ‘visible’ homelessness. Children can experience ‘hidden’ homelessness either with or without their parents where they are living in temporary informal accommodation situations, such as, B&B accommodation or sleeping on a relative’s couch. Children living on the streets face a litany of risks include exposure to drug and alcohol abuse, violence, crime, prostitution, assault and abuse.