What, Why, and How the Multi-Gen Approach is Special

When a family loses their home, it is rarely an isolated event triggered by a single setback. It is usually the result of challenges and inequities that span generations. Moreover, studies have shown that the disruption, stress, and chaos of unstable housing can create compounding, lifelong disadvantages – especially for children – that help perpetuate the cycle.

At FMF, we believe that addressing the needs and development of the whole family is crucial to breaking the cycle of homelessness and enabling a family to thrive. That's why we center our work around a two-generational – now, often multi-generational model – that simultaneously invests in the well-being, skills, and stability of both children and their adult caregivers. Rather than treating symptoms one person at a time, the research-backed multi-gen approach recognizes that a parent's economic stability strengthens their child's development, and a child's growth reinforces the resilience of subsequent generations.

For our youngest guests, early intervention is everything. We offer all children age-appropriate developmental screenings shortly after entering our program and encourage parents to take advantage of this resource. These screenings allow us to identify gaps early and collaborate with parents and caregivers to create individualized plans that connect children to specialized services – including occupational, behavioral, and speech therapy – through our network of trusted community partners. This also affords opportunities to educate and mentor adults on how to support their children and advocate on their behalf.

Our Children Services team works with volunteers to maintain a fun and safe learning environment for toddlers and preschoolers while parents attend evening programming. We help school-age children stay on track with their peers through our volunteer-led Study Buddies program, which offers homework help plus literacy and STEAM enrichment. We also help families connect with quality childcare, aftercare, and summer camps, and teen guests are invited to participate in our Teen Fellowship program. This curriculum provides a bridge to the future: college tours, leadership development, career exploration, and workforce readiness programming designed to open doors that systemic hardship can so often close.

This focus on children makes FMF different from other programs for families experiencing homelessness. Of course, a family can’t thrive if parents or caregivers are struggling.

Our adult guests work alongside dedicated case managers to set goals around housing, employment, and long-term self-sufficiency. Beyond one-on-one case management, we offer a rich range of workshops – covering financial literacy, tenant and landlord rights, workforce readiness, and more. Programs like self-enrichment & care and community support groups also ensure that guests have space to process, connect, and heal – not just plan and work.

Additionally, we offer programs and resources on child development and parent/child attachment. We know homelessness places enormous strain on family relationships and strengthening the bond between caregivers and children is itself a powerful protective factor. We also try to feature programming like healthy cooking demonstrations where families can participate together, providing space to learn and grow alongside each other.

What makes this model work in practice is its flexibility. Every family that comes through FMF's doors carries a unique constellation of strengths, challenges, and goals. Our multi-gen approach is not a one-size-fits-all curriculum — it's a framework for truly tailored support. Case managers and coordinators work closely with each family member individually, ensuring that referrals are relevant and timely, that programming feels accessible rather than overwhelming, and that everyone is given the opportunity to thrive. Critically, all these services and referrals are provided at no cost to our guests — made possible in large part by the generosity of community volunteers and partners who share our belief that every family deserves a real shot at stability.

This model might be rare, but the results are not. Evidence from organizations like the Aspen Institute documents how integrated, family-centered models produce better outcomes across health, education, economic mobility, and housing stability in comparison to siloed, individual-focused interventions. While we continue to advocate for families here in Durham, we also encourage more organizations serving families to adopt a multi-generational model to ensure that our communities build strong foundations and adequate support for all.

Financial Literacy

Financial literacy is more than just understanding money – it’s the ability to make informed, confident decisions about earning, spending, and borrowing. It consists of skills, knowledge, and behaviors that support long-term financial well-being. Without financial literacy, navigating everyday choices like budgeting for housing, groceries, transportation, childcare or managing debt AND working toward long-term goals of education, retirement, and/or generational wealth, are impossible.  

Despite how essential these skills are, financial literacy remains a significant challenge across the United States. On average, Americans only answer about 48% of financial literacy questions accurately.  Younger people score even lower; members of Gen Z only answer about 38% of questions correctly.  

Financial literacy is also closely tied to income. National research consistently shows that individuals with lower incomes are significantly less likely to have a strong understanding of basic financial concepts like interest, inflation, and risk. These disparities can start in childhood, with students from higher-income households demonstrating stronger financial knowledge than their peers. Because financial habits and knowledge are often shaped at home, limited access to financial tools, resources, and education can create a cycle where gaps persist across generations. This has real world consequences. 

Young adults only learning about money for the first time through trial and error cost themselves an estimated average of $1,015/year in mistakes or missed opportunities. Without access to financial education, families are more likely to experience stress, debt, and barriers to long-term goals. 

While financial literacy alone cannot solve the structural causes of poverty, it is a critical piece of the puzzle. When people have access to the tools and knowledge to make informed financial decisions, they are better positioned to build stability, navigate challenges, and create new opportunities for themselves and their families.  

At Families Moving Forward, we see financial literacy as a foundational part of building lasting change. Through our educational programming and case management, families gain practical tools like budgeting, credit awareness, and goal setting. We also engage children in learning some of these skills early. Programs like our Kids Store and Decision Dollars create hands-on opportunities for children to practice saving, spending, and prioritizing—helping them build self-reliance and healthy financial habits from a young age. 

Ultimately, financial literacy is about empowerment. When families have the knowledge and tools to make informed financial decisions, they gain more than stability; they gain choice, confidence, and the ability to plan for a future they define for themselves. 

Take a quick financial literacy quiz to see where you stand: https://www.finra.org/financial_knowledge_quiz 

Want to read more about financial literacy? Check out these links: 

“Americans Want — and Need — Financial Literacy | American Bankers Association.” Aba.com, 2025, www.aba.com/news-research/analysis-guides/americans-financial-literacy. 

Caporal, Jack. “Financial Literacy Statistics: The Average American Scores Just 48%.” The Motley Fool, 9 May 2025, www.fool.com/money/research/financial-literacy-statistics/. 

“Financial Literacy Gap | Literacy Ledger.” Literacy Ledger, 2025, www.literacyledger.com/financial-literacy-gap. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026. 

Health, Family Well-being and Homelessness

Family homelessness is often discussed in terms of housing instability, but its impact reaches far beyond the loss of a home. For parents and children alike, the experience of homelessness can have profound effects on both physical health and overall family well-being.

Without stable housing, families face increased exposure to environmental stressors like extreme temperatures, overcrowding, and limited access to safe, clean spaces. These conditions can contribute to higher rates of chronic illness, respiratory issues, and weakened immune systems, especially for young children whose bodies are still developing. The health effects of homelessness can begin even before birth.

Pregnant people experiencing homelessness face significant barriers to accessing prenatal care — from lack of transportation to gaps in insurance coverage — leaving unborn children at elevated risk from their very first days. Research shows that by the age of three, children without stable housing have higher rates of injuries and nutritional problems, in addition to more frequent respiratory problems and higher rates of illness. Unhoused children are twice as likely as other children to go hungry and four times as likely to experience delayed development.

Children who experience homelessness and other trauma are exposed to “toxic stress,” a kind of prolonged physiological strain that can disrupt the brain and nervous system’s critical early development. Unlike ordinary stress that children bounce back from, toxic stress rewires developing physiological systems in ways that can elevate the risk for asthma, chronic infections, hypertension, and behavioral challenges well into adulthood. For many children in this situation who are toddlers or preschoolers — consistently the largest population of guests FMF serves — these are formative years in which environment profoundly shapes lifelong health and learning. The longer a family remains without stable housing, the more severe these developmental consequences tend to be.

Parents, too, often experience declines in physical health as they navigate the daily strain of meeting basic needs without consistent resources. Studies find that parents experiencing homelessness carry significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and chronic stress than the general population. One in three mothers in unhoused families has a chronic health condition, and many have experienced prior trauma — including domestic violence and assault — compounding the physical and emotional weight they carry.

Just as significant are the effects on family well-being. The uncertainty of homelessness can disrupt routines, strain parent-child relationships, and increase levels of stress and anxiety for every member of the household. Children may struggle with sleep, emotional regulation, and school attendance, while parents shoulder the responsibility of both caregiving and crisis management. Families experiencing homelessness are more vulnerable to additional forms of trauma, including exposure to violence. All of this combines to make recovery not just a matter of finding a new apartment — it is a comprehensive physical, emotional, and relational rebuilding that takes time, consistency, and sustained community support.

At Families Moving Forward, we recognize that addressing homelessness means caring for the whole family; not just their housing needs. Our multi-generational approach is designed to support both parents and children with the tools, resources, and stability they need to thrive. We connect families to health, vision, and dental care; mental health support; access to nutritious food; skills education and programming focused on health, self-care, hygiene, and nutrition; resources to strengthen and repair parent-child attachment; and additional ongoing support for transitioning to and maintaining permanent housing.

The result is a community of families who are not just housed, but healthier; children who get to be children, and parents who have the support they need. Because when families have the help they need to heal and rebuild, the benefits ripple outwards — strengthening not only individual households, but the health and well-being of our entire community.

Further Reading:

Bassuk, E. L., & Friedman, S. M. (2005). Facts on Trauma and Homeless Children From the National Child Traumatic Stress Network Homelessness and Extreme Poverty Working Group. https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/facts_on_trauma_and_homeless_children.pdf

Burt, L. (2024, January 30). How Does Homelessness Impact Child Health and Developmental Outcomes? National League of Cities. https://www.nlc.org/article/2024/01/30/how-does-homelessness-impact-child-health-and-developmental-outcomes/

Cutuli, J. J., Ahumada, S. M., Herbers, J. E., Lafavor, T. L., Masten, A. S., & Oberg, C. N. (2016). Adversity and children experiencing family homelessness: implications for health. Journal of Children and Poverty, 23(1), 41–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10796126.2016.1198753

David, D. H., Gelberg, L., & Suchman, N. E. (2012). Implications of homelessness for parenting young children: A preliminary review from a developmental attachment perspective. Infant Mental Health Journal, 33(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.20333