Network member Michaela Campbell has asked for help with her research: “Exploring the Lived Experience of Homeless Children Residing in Refuge during COVID-19”.
At the time of writing the world is experiencing a global pandemic because of Coronavirus. The coronavirus pandemic poses a myriad of implications for children and families experiencing homelessness or residing in temporary accommodation, especially for children under 5 years old. Domestic abuse is a key cause of homelessness and often overlooked. Since the lockdown was enacted in March 2020 16 women and girls have been killed in suspected domestic/child homicides. My Lockdown life presents a compelling opportunity to obtain the narratives of children experiencing homelessness. Identifying any implications and exploring if lived experiences of homelessness differ by gender and ethnicity.
Access is needed to families, i.e child(ren) and their mother to capture both perspectives of life in lockdown. Depending on local restrictions child(ren) participants will be invited to a socially distanced or virtual tea party for 60 minutes. During this time, they will draw their experiences of lockdown alongside an unstructured discussion. Mothers will be invited to keep a reflective diary for 4 weeks recounting key issues, such as schools closing, etc.
Participants Criteria
- Family unit- mother and child(ren) aged 5-16 living in refuge or supported accommodation in the UK
- Gender- girls and boys
- Ethnicity- all ethnicities are welcome to participate. I am particularly keen to speak to families who are from black or minority ethnic groups. If you would like any further information or to participate in this study, please email me: m.campbell@warwick.ac.uk