Tameika Henry (R) holds her niece, Briahanna Henry, 5, as they wait with members of three homeless families who have banded together to appeal for help at the offices of Faith in Action community housing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, December 21, 2011. In a report issued earlier this month, the National Center on Family Homelessness, based in Needham, Massachusetts, said 1.6 million children were living on the streets of the United States last year or in shelters, motels and doubled-up with other families. That marked a 38 percent jump in child homelessness since 2007 and Ellen Bassuk, the center's president, attributes the increase to fallout from the U.S. recession and a surge in the number of extremely poor households headed by women. Picture taken December 21, 2011. TO MATCH FEATURE USA-HOMELESS/ REUTERS/Joe Skipper (UNITED STATES - Tags: SOCIETY)