The purposes of this study are to: (1) understand the relationship between child caretaking roles and the mental health status of homeless mothers; (2) understand how kin and/or extended family may act as a support system to buffer and mediate effects of homelessness; and, (3) understand how these patterns may differ for African-American vs. nonminority homeless mother-headed families and nonhomeless mother-headed families. During the 5-year project, 430 families will be recruited: 215 mother-headed homeless families and 215 low-income housed families. Each group will have equal numbers of African-Americans and nonminorities. Mothers of these families will be interviewed 3 times: 14 days after initial contact for the study, and at 9 months and 18 months from entry into the study. Standardized questionnaires will describe child caretaking roles, kin/extended family support, and mental health status. From the total sample, 40 mothers will be selected randomly (20 each of African-American and nonminority) for ethnographic interviews at the beginning of the study to determine their experiences with living in different housing situations. This study involves a longitudinal design.
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