The crack cocaine phenomenon nowadays has attracted attention due to the gravity of the social and health consequences experienced by users that can reach the extreme to lead homelessness experiences. Although people living on streets for different reasons, crack cocaine users have potentiated the characteristics linked to homelessness, which may cause marginalization and difficulties to remain with families. The aim of this research was to comprehend how happens the crack cocaine user's trajectories to the street situation from the families' perspective. Qualitative study that used the systems approach as a theoretical framework and the narrative as methodological framework. The study was conducted in a Psycho-Social Care Centre for substance misuse of Ribeirão Preto city, São Paulo, firstly from family therapy groups and later by indications of professionals from this service. The participants were 11 families of crack users intentionally chosen according to criteria established previously. The following data collection instruments were used: 1) questionnaire with socioeconomic and demographic information of the relatives and the families, 2) questionnaire with user's data, 3) genogram, 4) in-depth interview with narrative and systemic focus, from a guiding question and 5) field diary. The dynamic of the interviews followed the composition of the data collection instruments, and all participants were interviewed twice. After the full transcript of the first interview, was prepared a report containing the main topics addressed by the subjects, as well as construction of questions for deepening in the second interview. The narratives produced by both interviews were grouped and transcribed fullly. Was used the inductive thematic analysis and validation of the categories by judges. Was found that the family understands the crack cocaine user's trajectories from two moments, configuring the categories of study: one before the process of the street situation, where they return to the past to narrate events about the life history of the users, entitled "On the road of stones": the return to the past to explain the present"; and later, where they narrated about related events specifically related to the initiation to the crack cocaine use and the process of homelessness, called "There is a nut among us": the familiar understanding of the occurrence of the street situation.In conclusion, we belive that drug use prevention strategies should begin early, especially in the school system, and actions to take knowledge about drugs to the family system of crack cocaine users is urgent need.