Special Provisions Relating to Homeless Families

In accordance with the Department's established policy of maintaining the integrity of families, the Department shall make all reasonable efforts to serve homeless families. Ensuring that families remain together whenever possible is a primary goal in serving the homeless. The Department's efforts on behalf of a homeless family shall include efforts to provide access to facilities which allow a family to feed, bathe, and care for their children, and which provide meals and a safe place to sleep for the adults and children. The Department confirms its commitment to provide comprehensive information and referral services for homeless families at the local area office level. Since many factors can cause or contribute to homelessness (including unemployment, substance abuse, domestic violence, inadequate income, inadequate 1.11: continued shelter, and natural disasters) the Department also confirms its commitment to a multi-disciplinary and possibly multi-department approach to service delivery to a homeless family. Lastly, the Department affirms its policy that poverty or homelessness are not per se indicative of child abuse or neglect; and that children should never be removed from their parents and placed into substitute care on the sole basis of homelessness of a family.