Lydia M. Child described a home as "That blessed word, which opens to the human heart the most perfect glimpse of Heaven, and helps to carry it thither, as on an angel's wings."
             Most people take the luxury of having a home for granted, but the reality is, not every one is lucky enough to have a roof over their head every night. The question that comes to mind is simple in its essence, but not as easy to answer: How do families and kids end up on the streets and what is being done about it?
             Counting the exact number of homeless people is difficult; the reported number differs depending on whom you ask. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), up to 600,000 men, women and children go homeless every night in the United States. The Better Homes Fund claims the number of homeless children alone is 1.2 million. The Fund bases their findings on the estimates from the U.S. Department of Education that reports 400,000 homeless children were served by the nation's public schools last year. Because more that half of all homeless children are under the age of six and not yet in school and some homeless kids do not attend school at all, the Fund concluded the total number of homeless children in America is 1.2 million. But whatever the number is, the fact remains the same; homeless children become a part of our cities, towns and villages. They roam the streets night after night, moving from place to place in a search of food and shelter, lacking medical attention and education.
             Except during the Great Depression, women and children have never been on our nation's streets in significant numbers. During the 1980's, cutback in benefits coupled with rapidly increasing rents and shortage of low-income housing jeopardized the stability of all people with reduced or fixed incomes. At the same time, the number of female-headed households dramatically increased. As a result, the nation's...