Adaptation in Homeless Children: An Empirical Examination Using Cluster Analysis

Using a person-centered analytical approach, this article examines data from the Worcester Family Research Project to determine whether homeless children (53 preschoolers and 69 school-age children) can be classified into subgroups based on measures of behavior problems, adaptive functioning, and achievement. Cluster analyses revealed two clusters: higher functioning children (doing well across all three domains, n = 57) and lower functioning children (doing poorly across all three domains, n = 65). These results highlight that homeless children are not a homogeneous group, that a subgroup of children are doing well despite the stresses they face, and that services and policies perhaps ought to be more specifically targeted.