Birthday celebrations as a family homelessness intervention: a mixed-methods analysis

ABSTRACT

Families report that the experience of homelessness presents a significant barrier to family functioning and interrupts regular family routines. This study uses data from 22 homeless shelters in Massachusetts to examine the relationship between birthday parties for homeless children, family functioning, and parent well-being in homeless families. The study includes a sample of 255 residents across 20 homeless shelters in both urban and rural communities that received regular monthly birthday parties from a nonprofit agency. A small comparison sample of 25 residents came from two shelters that were not receiving birthday parties from the nonprofit agency. Data from 78 staff members working at all 22 shelters was collected on shelter environment and resident cohesion. Results indicated that residents in those shelters that received monthly birthday party celebrations for children had higher levels of happiness. Residents’ satisfaction with the birthday parties showed correlations between levels of hope, happiness, and parental empowerment. Shelter staff who reported higher levels of satisfaction with birthday parties also reported higher levels of resident cohesion. Results point toward the value of continuing regular family routines, such as annual birthday celebrations, to help mitigate the stressors and disruptions of homelessness on families.

KEYWORDS:

• Homeless children
• homeless families
• well-being
• intervention
• family functioning

Disclosure statement

Birthday Wishes hired the research team as outside, external reviewers to evaluate their work.

Notes on contributors

Anne Day Leong, Ph.D., MSW, is a Society for Research in Child Development postdoctoral policy fellow. Her research focuses on effective implementation of policies and programs for children and families.

Stephanie Cosner Berzin, Ph.D., is Dean of the College of Social Sciences, Policy, and Practice at Simmons University. Her research and recent book, Innovation from Within: Redefining How Nonprofits Solve Problems (Oxford, 2018), focus on organizational capacity-building around innovation and “intrapreneurship.” Complementary research explores services to combat poverty and support vulnerable youth.

Haenim Lee, Ph.D, is a T-32 NRSA postdoctoral research fellow at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Her research focuses on child, youth, and family health and social determinants on health disparities among racial/ethnic minorities.

ORCID

Anne Day Leong http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1832-1414

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Birthday Wishes.