Title IX

TITLE IX: McKINNEY-VENTO


Education for Homeless Children and Youth

The McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth program is designed to address the problems that homeless children and youth have faced in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school. Under this program, State educational agencies must ensure that each homeless child and youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as other children and youth.

Homeless children and youth must have access to the educational and other services that they need to enable them to meet the same challenging State student academic achievement standards to which all students are held. In addition, homeless students may not be separated from the mainstream school environment.

States and districts are required to review and undertake steps to revise laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as a barrier to the enrollment, attendance, or success in school of homeless children and youth. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​


McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
McKinney-Vento defines homeless students as those who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. This includes children and youth who are:

  • Forced to share the housing of other persons due to the loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; 
  • Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations; 
  • Living in emergency or transitional shelters;
  • Abandoned in hospitals; 
  • Living in a primary nighttime residence that is not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings; 
  • Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus stations, train stations, or similar settings; 
  • Migratory - who qualify as homeless living in circumstances described above.

Unaccompanied Homeless Youth are students who are not in the physical custody of a parent/guardian and are living in one of the situations listed above. 

2-Step Process:

  1. Does the student's living arrangement meet the McKinney-Vento Act's definition of homeless?
  2. Once homelessness is determined, is the student unaccompanied?


Educational Rights
Eligible students have certain educational rights and are able to: 

  1. Enroll in school immediately, even if they are lacking documents normally required for enrollment.
  2. Choose between the local school where they are living or the school last attended before becoming homeless, when feasible.
  3. Receive transportation assistance to the school of origin when requested by a parent/guardian/homeless unaccompanied youth.
  4. Attend school and participate in school programs with children who are not homeless. Students cannot be separated from the regular school program because they are homeless. 
  5. Receive school services comparable to services offered to other students.  


What support can a child receive through McKinney-Vento?

  • School Supplies
  • School Clothing
  • Transportation
  • Medical Emergencies or Assistance
  • Counseling
  • Tutoring
  • Help receiving or paying for certain legal documentation needed for the child


Eligibility
Eligibility for McKinney-Vento rights is determined by the district's homeless liaison. Renewal is not automatic; eligibility is determined for one school year at a time. Referrals can be made by completing a Student Residency Questionnaire.  


Resources

 


MEET OUR TEAM


Dr. MELISSA HOLCOMBE

Homeless Liaison

[email protected]

 

JENNIFER ROSS

Title I Academic Coordinator

[email protected]