McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

This act defines and protects the rights of homeless students to enroll, attend and succeed in our public schools.

McKinney-Vento Definitions

- Homelessness is defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act as children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.

- Doubled-Up occurs when families double up because one family is experiencing loss of housing or economic hardship; in this case, the family is considered homeless.

- The School-of-Origin is the school that is attended by a student at the time homelessness began.

- An Unaccompanied Youth is a student not living in the physical custody of his or her parent.

Who qualifies for services?

Children or youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including Pre-K through 12, qualify.

- This includes sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reasons, which is referred to as doubling up.

- It also includes living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of adequate alternative accommodations.

- Living in emergency or transitional shelters also qualifies.

- Finally, those abandoned in hospitals qualify.

Who qualifies for services? Continued

Children or youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including Pre-K through 12th grade, qualify if they are:

- Living in a public or private place not designed for humans to live, such as an extra space.

- Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or a similar setting.

- Migratory children living in the above circumstances.

- Unaccompanied youth living in the above circumstances.

Special Considerations

Students in the following circumstances are also eligible for services:

- Children in migratory families.

- Children with parents serving abroad in the military.

- Unaccompanied youth not living with a parent or legal guardian.

Determining Eligibility:

The list of examples given describes common homeless situations but is not exhaustive.

- Determinations are made on a case-by-case basis by examining the living arrangement of each child or youth.

- Some instances will be clear-cut, while others will require further inquiry and then a judgment call.

Use fixed, regular, and adequate as your guiding principles. Consider: Can the student go to the same place, which is fixed, every night, which is regular, to sleep in a safe and sufficient space, which is adequate?

Homeless Liaison:

Every school district is required to have a homeless education liaison that must perform specific tasks as required by law. Some of those tasks are listed below:

- Identifying homeless children and youth.

- Ensuring that homeless students can enroll immediately and participate fully in school.

- Informing parents, guardians, and youth of educational rights.

- Ensuring the public posting of educational rights throughout the school district and community.

- Denise Cato is the McKinney Vento Act Homeless Liaison.

Barriers to Enrollment for Homeless Students

- Birth certificates.

- Immunization and medical records.

- Residency requirements.

- School records.

- Legal guardianship requirements.

- Transportation to or from temporary residence.

Barriers to Enrollment for Homeless Students

- Frequent mobility.

- Lack of staff awareness and sensitivity, which is the reason for this training.

- Inability to complete school assignments.

- Lack of psychological services.

- Poor health and inadequate medical care.

- Physical needs, including food, clothing, and health care.

The McKinney-Vento Act Requires Immediate Enrollment  no Documentation Required!

- If a student is homeless or believed to be homeless, he or she must be enrolled immediately without providing the necessary documentation upon enrollment.

- Homeless Education Liaisons will assist families to ensure that all necessary documents are presented to the school within a timely manner.

Acceptable Documents after Enrollment

McKinney-Vento focuses on providing educational stability by:

- Proof of residency.

- Birth certificate.

- School records.

- Health records and immunizations.

Image summary: A photograph showing several rows of colorful ring binders standing vertically on a shelf, symbolizing organized documentation.

Why School of Origin? Which School is in a Students Best Interest?

- Which is the best placement for the student?

- The options are the school of origin, if requested and feasible, or the school of residency.

- McKinney-Vento states that a homeless student has the right to remain in his or her school of origin if requested by a parent and feasible for the student according to the U.S. Department of Education guidelines.

Feasibility Criteria Set Forth by the U.S. Department of Education

- Criteria must be student-centered and individualized.

- The age of the child or youth must be considered.

- The safety of the student must be considered.

- The student's length of stay in a shelter, hotel, or temporary living situation must be considered.

- The student's need for special instructional programs must be considered.

- The impact of the commute on education must be considered.

- The student's time remaining in the school year must be considered.

Why School of Origin? What Research Tells Us about the Effects of Mobility

- Students who switch schools score 20 points lower on standardized tests.

- It takes children 4 to 6 months to recover academically after changing schools.

- Mobility during high school greatly diminishes the likelihood of graduation.

Dispute Resolution Resolving Enrollment Disputes

- Camden County Schools has established procedures to promptly resolve disputes, with disputes referred to Denise Cato.

- The student must be immediately admitted to the school of choice, whether based on origin or residency.

- The school must provide a written explanation of its decision.

- The school must refer the child, youth, parent, or guardian to the liaison, and the student Residency Form should be sent to Denise Cato.

Transportation:

School districts must provide transportation for homeless students to their school of origin.

School of Origin Transportation:

- The mandate is that the McKinney-Vento Act requires school districts to provide transportation to the school of origin at the request of a parent or guardian, or the local liaison for unaccompanied youth.

- Regarding duration, this transportation must continue for the entire time the student is homeless and until the end of the academic year in which they become permanently housed.

- There are no distance limits, meaning there are generally no mileage or distance limits for school of origin transportation under McKinney-Vento, as long as it is in the student's best interest.

School Meals:

- Automatic Qualification: Children identified as homeless, as defined by McKinney-Vento, are categorically eligible for free meals under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. This means their eligibility for free meals is not based on household income, and no application is required.

- No Discretion to Decline: School nutrition personnel do not have the discretion to decline directly certifying children who have been documented as categorically eligible due to homelessness.

- Duration of Eligibility: Once a child is certified as eligible for free school meals due to homelessness, eligibility remains in effect for the duration of the current school year and for up to 30 days after the first operating day of the subsequent school year.

Extra Curricular Activity Uniforms

- Students cannot be denyed access to school activities due to a lack of uniform items, such as pants, shirts, belts, or shoes.

- Be prepared to assist students with uniforms.

- Partner with your P.T.A and Partners in Education to purchase uniforms.

Direct Academic Assistance:

- Tutoring and Remediation: Many homeless students are behind their peers due to interrupted schooling. Individualized or small-group tutoring can help them catch up in core subjects.

- Homework Support: Providing a quiet, safe, and consistent space for homework completion, which is often lacking in shelters or temporary housing. This may include access to computers and internet.

- School Supplies and Resources: Ensuring access to essential school supplies, textbooks, uniforms, and technology, such as laptops and internet access, that can be financially out of reach.

- Academic Counseling: Guidance on course selection, graduation requirements, and post-secondary planning, including college applications and financial aid.

Examples of Services Provided to Homeless Students

- Uniforms and school supplies.

- Medical, dental, and mental health referrals.

- Emergency food, housing, and utility assistance referrals.

- Transportation arrangements.

- Case management for students and families.

McKinney-Vento families have the right to:

- A dispute resolution process to resolve enrollment disputes.

- Transportation.

- Support for academic success.

Questions???

Contact Dr. Denise Cato, Federal Programs Director, at dcato@camden.k12.ga.us or 912-729-5687.