In recognition of National Parents’ Day this July, our upcoming Community Chat launches a new series called “What Do I Say?”
This series will focus on building skills for thoughtful, age-appropriate conversations around complex topics—starting with how we talk to kids about homelessness.
Summer often brings more unstructured time with the children in our lives, creating natural opportunities for deeper conversations. But when kids ask big questions, especially about something as complex as homelessness, it can be hard to know what to say.
Join us on Tuesday, July 29 at noon for a conversation with Melanie Horn Mallers, Ph.D., Professor of Human Services and Program Chair at California State University, Fullerton.
Dr. Mallers holds a Ph.D. in Family Studies and Human Development from the University of Arizona and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her current research efforts include exploring the relationship between family systems and resilience in impacted communities. She is also the Co-Principal Investigator of the Resilient Family Program, the Support and Engagement Mentor for the MSTEM-Star Program, and the Director of Community Collaboration at California State University, Fullerton. Additionally, she is a co-founder of two consulting practices: BRICK (Building Resilience in Community and Kids) and GeroFusion.
The discussion will be moderated by Carrie Buck, Senior Director of Community Strategies for United to End Homelessness, who brings 15 years of experience in family services to this important topic.
Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, educator, or community member, you’ll come away with practical ideas for guiding meaningful conversations that help children better understand homelessness and the people affected by it.
