SHP has grown to 350 chapters, with thousands of dedicated volunteers who have built and delivered more than 250,000 beds to children in need. Yet, as our reach has expanded, so has our understanding of this hidden crisis.

The Numbers Tell a Sobering Story

In major metropolitan areas like Chicago, Detroit, and St. Louis, thousands of families reach out to us for help each year. But the need knows no boundaries—over 7% of our applications come from rural communities with populations of 5,000 or less, proving that child bedlessness affects families everywhere.

Behind these numbers are real families facing real challenges. Our data shows that:

• 62.4% of bed requests come from single-parent households
• 6.1% are from families transitioning from homelessness
• 1.35% are foster families working to provide stable homes
• 82.4% of applicant families earn less than $52,000 annually

These statistics paint a clear picture: child bedlessness often affects those already facing significant life challenges. And while we’ve provided a quarter-million beds, we’ve received over one million bed requests—with millions more children potentially in need across North America.

Our chapters currently serve communities with a combined population of 77 million Americans. However, over 265 million Americans live in areas where SHP has yet to establish a presence. With child bedlessness affecting approximately 2-3 percent of children in communities across America, the math is clear: millions of children still need our help.