Educating Our

Homeless Youth

HORRY COUNTY SCHOOLS

The McKinney-Vento Education Program

· This federal act protects the rights of children in homeless situations to attend and succeed in school & preschool.

· This act applies to all children who do not have a fixed, regular, & adequate residence.

What is the definition of homelessness?

· McKinney-Vento covers children who are …- Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing (aka

“doubling up”), economic hardships, or a similar reason;- Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack

of alternative adequate accommodations;- Living in emergency or transitional shelters;- Abandoned in hospitals;- Awaiting foster care placement (children who are already in foster

care are not considered homeless);- Have a primary night time residence that is a public or private place

not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;

- Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned building, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and

- Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are living in circumstances described above.

Migrant Students· A migrant student is a child younger than 22 and has not

graduated from high school, has moved across school district boundaries and changed residence, the primary purpose of the move was to obtain work that is temporary or seasonal AND agricultural or fishing, and the work is an important part of providing a living for the worker and family

· Code in PowerSchool as a Migrant

· Migrant students are covered by the McKinney-Vento Act if they are living in a homeless situation.

What about kids “on their own”?

· Yes, the McKinney-Vento act protects youth not living with a parent or guardian. These children are called “unaccompanied youth.” Includes:

· Youth asked to leave home by a parent· Youth who left home with the consent of a parent· Youth who have no formal custody papers or arrangements

while their parents are in jail, the hospital or in rehab· Youth who ran away from home.

Youth on their own cannot be kept out of school because they do not have an adult to enroll them.

What rights do homeless families have?

· The right to go to school no matter where you live.· The right to stay in the school he/she was attending before

becoming homeless, if feasible.· The right for a written explanation of school choice by the

district if unhappy with the decision.· The right to appeal the district’s decision regarding school

choice.· The right to be enrolled in school immediately, even without all

the required paperwork. No proof of address needed.· The right to be provided transportation if requested.· The right to the same special programs provided other children.· The right to be in the mainstream environment.

Enrolling Homeless Youth

· Train all school enrollment staff on legal requirements regarding immediate enrollment.

· Schools must immediately enroll homeless students even if they are missing:· Immunization records· Physical exam/medical records· School records· Proof of residency· A parent or guardian· Birth certificates

· Schools must call the student’s previous school to obtain records. Some records may never be obtained due to certain circumstances.

· McKinney-Vento Act Identification Forms should be made available to every student during the registration process; however, we CANNOT require that the parent complete the form.  Therefore, it is okay if a parent does not return the completed form to the school.

· If “A” is checked on a completed form, the school should keep the form for one year and then destroy.  If anything other than “A” is checked, your homeless liaison (or designee) should evaluate individual situations to determine if the student is homeless.  The forms for the students that have been designated as homeless should be signed by the homeless liaison (or other designated person) and sent to me for District Office approval.

McKinney-Vento Identification Form

McKinney-Vento, continued

· E-mail or Fax MV form verifying homeless status to 488-6759, attn: Carolyn Chestnut, District Homeless Liaison.

· Code student as homeless in PowerSchool and complete the other fields on the new PowerSchool custom page.

· Keep a list (by school year) of homeless students which includes their beginning and ending dates of homelessness.

· A homeless student that becomes permanently housed during a school year continues to remain eligible for services for the remainder of that school year. This helps ensure educational stability for formerly homeless children.

McKinney Vento Act Identification Form

Federal McKinney-Vento Assistance Act ensures education rights and protections for children and youth experiencing housing difficulties or loss of housing. In order to serve these students in every way available, we need to identify those in situations that may qualify. Please complete the following:

Student Name_________________________ School_________

Grade____ ID #__________________Teacher_____________

A. ______ has a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence and is not temporarily sharing housing. (Please supply proof of residence for new students.) In this situation, the family is NOT considered homeless. If “A” is checked, do not check any options below.

B. ______ does not have a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. Explain situation: ____________________________________________

C. ______ is temporarily sharing the housing of other persons, including relatives or friends, due to:

_____ loss of housing, _____ economic hardship or ________________

D. ______ is living in temporary housing (motel, hotel, etc.).

E. ______ is living in a shelter. Name of shelter: ____________________________

F. ______ is living in unsheltered places not ordinarily used as regular sleeping accommodations (e.g., cars, parks, campgrounds, etc.).

G. ______ is living in substandard housing (lack of hot or cold water, flush toilet, electricity, etc.).

H. ______ is unable to live with a parent or legal guardian due to family difficulties.

Please explain: _________________________________________

School(s) child previously attended (if any)_____________________

Documents not available:

____Birth Certificate ____Social Security ____ Immunization

Reasons document(s) not available:____________-__________________

Are other children in the home enrolled in HCS? _____yes _____ noIf yes, please provide the name(s) and school(s) attended.

The administration of the Horry County school in which the child attends is responsible for submitting the appropriate forms.

Name(s)___________________________________________School(s)___________

Are preschool-aged children in the home? _____yes ____no

If yes, what are their names & ages?_______________________________________

Daycare or preschool they attend:_________________________________________

School Personnel Signature__________________________________Date________

Submit this form to Carolyn Chestnut, the District Homeless Liaison.

New PowerSchool Custom Page

Homeless Indicator: Check this box to indicate the student is homeless.

Homeless students are defined as children/youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and includes:

1. students who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement;

2. students who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings (within the meaning of section 103(a)(2)(C));

3. students who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and

4. migratory students who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because they are living in circumstances described in (1) through (3) above.

New PowerSchoolCustom Page

Served by McKinney-Vento: Select Yes for students who are receiving services under the McKinney-Vento Program; otherwise, the field remains blank (default).

· Services include both subgrants funded by the McKinney-Vento program, including 3-5 year olds; direct services as outlined in the McKinney-Vento Act (Section 723); and indirect services such as those provided by a staff member whose position is supported through McKinney-Vento funds.

New PowerSchoolCustom Page

Primary Nighttime Residence: Select the primary nighttime residence for the student from permitted values below:

· S – Shelters, transitional housing, awaiting foster care· D – Doubled–up means sharing the housing of other persons due to

economic hardship, loss of housing or other reasons (such as domestic violence).

· U – Unsheltered includes cars, parks, campgrounds, temporary trailers including FEMA trailers, or abandoned buildings

· H – Hotels/motels

New PowerSchoolCustom Page

Unaccompanied Youth: Select Yes from the drop-down list; otherwise, the field remains blank (default).

A homeless unaccompanied youth is a youth who is not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian and who fits the McKinney-Vento definition of homeless.

 

There is no age range specified for an unaccompanied youth in the law. The upper age range is determined by what a state defines as school aged, unless the child is in special education in which case, the upper age range is twenty-one (21) years of age. There is no lower age range. Therefore, as an example, a young child not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian, though living with a caregiver, and is living in a situation that is not fixed, regular, and adequate, would be identified as a homeless unaccompanied youth.

What types of special services are available?

· Tutoring· Before/After school programs· Vocational Education programs· G/T programs· ESOL programs· Automatically qualify for free breakfast/lunch · Pre-school programs· Special Education programs· Automatically qualify for Title I services· Sports/Clubs· Field Trips

· Equal Access is the law.

Title I, Part A· Homeless students are automatically eligible for services under

Title I, Part A, whether or not they live in a Title I school attendance area or meet the academic standards required of other children for eligibility. They may receive Title I educational or support services from Schoolwide and Targeted Assistance school programs.

· Do not automatically request Title I funding for a homeless student. Title I, Part A funds must be used as a last resort when funds or services are not reasonably available from other public or private sources.

Title I, continued· A district has the discretion to use reserved funds to provide services

that are not available from other sources. Examples: student fees necessary to participate in general education program, school supplies, birth certificates necessary to enroll, immunizations, eyeglasses, fees for AP, IB, SAT/ACT testing, GED testing for school-age students. Other items that may be purchased:o School appropriate clothing, including shoes, coats & underwear- must

match gender of student – ex girl name must be girl or lady clothing- no men items

o Toiletries – shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, shaving items (age appropriate) feminine items (age appropriate).

o Washing powder, Clorox & fabric softenero Toilet tissue & paper towels

o Hand sanitizer & baby wipes (no running water in some cases)o Blankets, pillows & sleeping bags (some children sleeping on floor) One per

child

Title I, continued

· NOT ALLOWED: rent, class ring, extracurricular activities after school such as band, sports/football, dance, and cheer-leading are examples. Others examples are:

· Nose Rings· Bathing suits· Over the counter medicines or acne medicine – nothing that

could cause an allergic reaction· Jewelry· Food, housing or electricity· Cell phones or accessories· Movies, DVD

Title I, continuedProcedures for requesting funding for

homeless students:

· Complete authorization form for Title I funding· Fax form to 488-6759, attn: Carolyn Chestnut, District Homeless

Liaison· Upon approval, someone from the Title I office will contact the school

homeless liaison to schedule a time for making purchases

Q & AWe are required by law to provide homeless students with instructional materials they may need and cannot provide for themselves. Scenario: A 3rd grade homeless student brought in money to purchase a recorder for Music class. Do you keep the money or return it to the child?

Keep the money.

How/can school be reimbursed for lunch charges that were incurred prior to student being deemed as homeless.

Funds can only be reimbursed from the date the student is classified as homeless.

How to handle truancy and interim attendance for homeless children. Can school hold student back? Can student be put on attendance plan?

Absences for a homeless student that are a result of the student being homeless cannot be counted against the student. These absences are to be coded as “APR” (principal approved absence) in PowerSchool.

If family is running – how can this be coded in PowerSchool so the school will know that there will be attendance issues?

Code these absences as “APR” (principal approved absence) in PowerSchool.

If district allocates Title I funds for a homeless student, who controls the spending of the money. Who shops for student? What documentation is needed by district for money spent?

The school principal is to designate a person from the school to shop for the student. That school contact person is to call Wanda Williamson at the district office, 488-6950, to make arrangements to meet and shop. Wanda will bring the receipts to the district office.

If student is no longer homeless as deemed by district, how is this conveyed to school PowerSchool clerk? How will school/district know that student is still eligible for homeless services if PowerSchool is not reflecting them as homeless? What documentation does school need to provide to change a student’s status from homeless?

Data Clerk to email Mary to advise that student is no longer homeless as of a specific date. The school will need to keep a list of students that are no longer homeless but still qualify for services. The student must remain coded as homeless in PowerSchool for the remainder of the school year.

Contact InformationCarolyn Chestnut Chief Officer and District Liaison for Homeless Education 488-6768 Fax: 488-6768Judy StallCoordinator of Title I 488-6809

SC Department of Education McKinney-Vento Homeless EducationToll Free Line 1-800-565-7261

National Center for Homeless Education www.serve.org/ncheHelpline 1-800-308-2145 or homeless@serve.org

Tips for Educators· Be familiar with common characteristics of students

who are homeless. Common signals are attendance at several schools, poor hygiene, gaps in learning, transportation problems, poor health and nutrition, and a lack of preparedness for class.

· Ensure that the student has every opportunity that a non-homeless student has for participation in after-school activities and in-school programs.

· Use tutoring and after-school programs to provide academic support.

Tips, continued· Inform parents about their child’s educational rights.· Know your attendance zone, visit shelters to make

contact with shelter director.· Provide transportation assistance to get parents to

school for conferences, school events, or PTA meetings.

· Make sure the student enrolls in your school’s free meal program.

Tips, continued· Show that you care about the student!· Be sensitive, patient, calm and reassuring.· Contact the school district’s homeless education liaison

for additional support.

How to Access the District Homeless Education

Website

· Go to the Main HCS web site and click on the “Departments” tab

· Click on Instructional Support Services· Click on Homeless Education on the left

side of the screen