This book discusses homeless families in the United States and advocates the efforts of residential educational and employment training centers--American Family Inns--which provide comprehensive services education, job training, and parenting and life skills to address the poverty-related conditions that contribute to homelessness. Chapters of the book are the following: (1) "A New American Poverty: Family Homelessness"; (2) "An American Family Myth: Every Child at Risk"; (3) "When a Shelter Is Not a Shelter: The American Family Inn"; (4) "Taking the First Step: Education"; (5) Family Preservation: The Foster Care Connection"; (6) "Job Readiness: Crossing the Threshold from Homelessness to Employment"; (7) "Moving On: Housing, Aftercare, and Independence"; and (8) "Conclusion: At the Crossroads: Responsibility, Hope, and the American Dream." The book contains two appendices: (1) "Methodology," which briefly discusses the qualitative and quantitative data used in the book; and (2) "Funding Mechanisms," which describes how the American Family Inn sites are funded. (Contains over 25 figures and tables, and 294 references.) (LPP)