Mental Health

Traditional services for people experiencing housing insecurity have not decreased the number of sheltered homeless children identified under the McKinney-Vento Act in Champaign County, Illinois. Given the myriad of negative impacts of poverty and homelessness on children, providing meaningful and effective interventions to mitigate these harms are essential for promoting well-being. Recently, Dr. Christopher Larrison led a proof-of-concept project, the Champaign County Guaranteed Income Pilot (CCGIP), to design an effective, unconditional cash transfer program that decreases the number of families with school age children experiencing sheltered homelessness in Champaign County. Using a mixed methods approach to collect information on finances, housing, family stability, mental health, and health, the project team developed a profile of McKinney-Vento families that are living in poverty or considered to be asset limited, income-constrained, and employed in Champaign County.

To ensure that CCGIP is tailored to the needs of those being served, members of eligible families were invited to share their experiences and the team conducted interviews with school district administrators and professionals who work directly with families and children identified under the McKinney-Vento Act. To implement and evaluate the program, the study team ran a micro-pilot with ten local families for 6 months, allowing them to ensure that the amount, frequency, and length of time income was provided and that the additional supportive services offered were implemented in a way that best assists local families in need.