Federal and state laws require immediate enrollment even without proof of residency, medical, school or legal guardianship records, if a child lacks "fixed, regular and adequate housing." This includes children who have been displaced by disasters.
The McKinney-Vento Act exists to ensure the educational rights and protections for children and youth experiencing homelessness, and protect the rights of students to enroll and/or stay in school even when housing becomes uncertain.
The district protects the dignity of families in transition by following McKinney-Vento district procedures (including confidentiality), especially if a child is living in a shelter, motel, vehicle, trailer or on the street, in an abandoned building, campground or any other inadequate accommodation, including "couch surfing"(having no permanent address), or living doubled up (or tripled up) with friends or relatives due to loss of housing, economic hardship or an extremely limited income in an area with a severe shortage of affordable housing.
KEY INFORMATION
- Enrollment within 24 hours
- Free/Reduced Meals
- Remove Barriers to Education
- Provide School Supplies, Transportation, Support Service Referrals
According to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, you are homeless if you live:
- In a shelter (family, domestic violence, or youth shelter or transitional living program)
- In a motel, hotel, or weekly rate housing
- In shared housing with more than one family because of economic hardship or loss
- In an abandoned building, in a car, at a campground, or on the street
- In substandard housing (without electricity, water, or heat)
- With friends or family because you are a runaway or an unaccompanied youth
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth - https://naehcy.org/
Foster Youth Education Toolkit - http://kids-alliance.org/edtoolkit/
Foster Care Transition Toolkit - http://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/foster-care/youth-transition-toolkit.pdf
Homeless Liaison Toolkit - http://center.serve.org/nche/pr/liaison_toolkit.php
Homeless Education Information & Rights - http://nche.ed.gov/ 1-800-308-2145
