<p>Early literacy and whole-family wellness and stability practices from birth to five provide<br>the foundation for future academic, psychological, behavioral, and social well-being.<br>For families experiencing homelessness or housing instability (H/HI), stress, and/or<br>trauma can create major obstacles with long-term consequences for their young<br>children. Focusing on this understudied intersection of H/HI and early literacy practices,<br>the purpose of our study was to identify challenges families encountered when trying to<br>access support systems, identify what families need to access these support systems,<br>determine what families' activities are related to early learning and development, and<br>determine what families know and think about the learning opportunities provided by<br>early childcare. Our study centered on developing and implementing a needs<br>assessment survey to understand the experiences of adults caring for children aged 0<br>to 5 who are experiencing H/HI, with a particular emphasis on exploring the early<br>literacy experiences of these families. Results show significant barriers to accessing<br>essential support systems, including financial instability, extensive paperwork, long<br>wait times, and the need for employment to qualify for childcare funding.</p>
