The North Carolina Conference for Social Services invited North Carolina policymakers and service providers to participate in a working conference in January 1991. The conference addressed issues relating to homeless families in North Carolina. Goals of the conference were to: (1) increase the potential for collaboration on behalf of homeless families; (2) identify strategies to address the needs of homeless families; (3) foster outreach strategies to rural homeless; and (4) determine strategies to prevent low-income families from becoming homeless. A series of working papers considered particular problems including: (1) shifts in the economy; (2) affordable housing; (3) health care for homeless children; (4) child care for homeless children; (5) substance abuse; (6) health care for the homeless; (7) homeless persons with mental illness; (8) problems of homeless children in rural areas; (9) education and homeless children; (10) homeless issues relating to battered women; (11) subsidized child care; and (12) government's response to homeless families. Each paper includes a discussion of the scope and context of the problem, and a series of recommendations for dealing with the problem. References are included with some papers. (BC)