THE MCKINNEY-VENTO ACT:KNOWING AND

IMPLEMENTING THE LAW

National Center for Homeless Education

800-308-2145, homeless@serve.org

WHICH CHILD IS HOMELESS?

THE CHILD’S CLASSROOM MAY BE THE ONLY PLACE WHERE THE

CHILD CAN EXPERIENCE QUIET, INTERACT WITH CHILDREN

HIS/HER AGE, AND EXPERIENCE SUCCESS…

School is the most normal activity that most children experience collectively…For homeless children it is much more than a learning environment. It is a place of safety, personal space, friendships, and support.

TODAY’S GOALS

Become familiar with important concepts in the McKinney-Vento Act Eligibility Immediate Enrollment School Selection Transportation Unaccompanied Youth Coordination with Title IA

Answer “yes” or “no” to the following:

Could you experience a flood, fire, tornado, or other natural disaster? Do you work in an area of the economy/job market where your job might become obsolete? Could you suffer from a long-term illness or accident without proper health benefits or other compensations? Do you live in a household with only one full-time wage earner? Are you behind in any monthly bills? Are housing costs in your area increasing faster than wages? Does anyone in your family struggle with addictions such as drugs or alcohol?

HOW DOES HOMELESSNESS HAPPEN?

Difficulty enrolling without records, or without a parent or guardian present for unaccompanied homeless youth

Frequent school changes

Falling behind in school -> not accruing credits on time

A lack of basic needs including food, clothing, and adequate housing

Stress, depression, trauma; and embarrassment and stigma related to their housing conditions

Difficulty attending school regularly

a lack of stable transportation

EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES THAT HOMELESS STUDENTS

FACE

THE MCKINNEY-VENTO ACT

Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act; reauthorized by Title X, Part C of ESEA

Main themes of the McKinney-Vento ActSchool accessSchool stabilitySupport for academic successChild-centered, best interest decision makingCritical role of the local homeless education liaison

LOCAL LIAISONS

Local liaisons play a critical role in the implementation of the McKinney-Vento Act

Every Local Educational Agency (LEA) must designate a local homeless education liaison (includes State Chartered Schools)

Local liaison responsibilities include: Identifying homeless children and youth Ensuring that homeless students can enroll immediately and

participate fully in school

LOCAL LIAISONS (CONT.)

Informing parents, guardians, or youth of educational rights Supporting unaccompanied youth in school selection and dispute

resolution Linking homeless students with educational and other services,

including preschool and health services Ensuring the public posting of educational rights through the school

district and community; NCHE Educational Rights Posters are available at www.serve.org/nche/products.php

Ensuring that disputes are resolved promptly Collaborating with other district programs and community agencies

Children or youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including:Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing,

economic hardship, or similar reason (“doubling up”)Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping grounds

due to the lack of adequate alternative accommodationsLiving in emergency or transitional sheltersAbandoned in hospitals

WHO QUALIFIES FOR SERVICES?

Awaiting foster care placementLiving in a public or private place not

designed for humans to live: 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

WHO QUALIFIES? (CONT.)

DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY:THE GROUND RULES

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; others will require further inquiry and then a judgment call

DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY:FIXED, REGULAR, AND

ADEQUATEFixed: Stationary, permanent, and not subject to changeRegular: Used on a predictable, routine, or consistent basis

(e.g., nightly); consider the relative permanenceAdequate: Sufficient for meeting both the physical and

psychological needs typically met in home environmentsConsider: Can the student go to the SAME PLACE (fixed) EVERY

NIGHT (regular) to sleep in a SAFE AND SUFFICIENT SPACE (adequate)?

Step 1: Get the factsEnrollment questionnaires

Step 2: Analyze the factsDoes the living situation fit into one of the specific examples

of homelessness listed in the law? Is the living arrangement another type of situation that is not

fixed, regular, and adequate?

DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY:THE PROCESS

Step 3: Get Additional InputContact your State CoordinatorContact the NCHE helpline at 800-308-2145 or

homeless@serve.org

DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY:THE PROCESS (CONT.)

DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY: “DOUBLED-UP”

McKinney-Vento defines “doubled-up” as “sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason”

Did economic hardship force the family or youth to share the housing of others temporarily?

A shelter stay is not always an option: Shelters don’t exist in every community

Shelters often are full Shelter policies may create barriers Shelters may generate safety concerns Shelters may have stay limits Doubled-up arrangements often serve as temporary

shelter, but may not last or may place the family or youth in danger

MORE ON “DOUBLED UP”

Will Bolen lived with his wife and three school-age children in Milwaukee. They just moved to Chicago because Will received a promotion requiring him to move to where his company’s home office is located. He and his family are staying with his brother for a couple of weeks until the house they rented is available for them to move into.

HOMELESS? YES OR NO

Mariana’s mom struggles with substance abuse. As a result, she often has strangers in the home and participates regularly in activities that cause Mariana to feel highly anxious and unsafe. Eventually, Mariana came to the conclusion that she would be safer living on her own. She ran away, swearing she would never live with her mom again. She is now crashing on the couch of an older friend that she met at the mall last week.

HOMELESS? YES OR NO

Children in foster care face high residential and school mobility, academic challenges, educational discontinuity

Eligibility must be reviewed in the context of state and local child welfare policies; check with your State Coordinator for information relevant to your state

DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY:AWAITING FOSTER CARE

PLACEMENT

SCHOOL SELECTION

Students experiencing homelessness have the right to attend one of two schools:Local Attendance Area School

Any public school that students living in the same attendance area are eligible to attend

School of OriginThe school attended when permanently housed; orThe school in which the student was last enrolled

SCHOOL SELECTION (CONT.)

For school selection, a “best interest” determination must occur; ideally, the parents/guardians and school dialogue and come to an agreement; if there is a disagreement, the dispute resolution process is used

Best interest: keep homeless students in their schools of origin, to the extent feasible, unless this is against the parent’s or guardian’s wishes

Students can continue attending their school of origin the entire time they are homeless, and until the end of any school year in which they move into permanent housing

If a student becomes homeless in between school years, he or she can continue attending the school of origin forthe following school year

Feasibility factors listed in U.S. Department of Education Guidance:The age of the child or youthThe distance of a commute and the impact it may have on the

student's educationPersonal safety issuesA student's need for special instruction (e.g., special

education and related services)The length of anticipated stay in a temporary shelter or other

temporary locationThe time remaining in the school year

SCHOOL OF ORIGIN AND FEASIBILITY

HOW IS FEASIBILITY DETERMINED?

The child’s best interest is at the forefront

Determining best interest is a case-by-case determination

There is no specific time or distance limit placed on transporting a homeless child to the school of origin; consider the unique situation of the student and how the transportation willaffect the student’s education

ENROLLMENT

Districts must develop, review, and revise policies to remove barriers to the school enrollment and retention of homeless children and youth

McKinney-Vento defines enrollment as attending classes and participating fully in school activities

The McKinney-Vento Act supersedes state or local law or practice when there is a conflict [U.S. Constitution, Article VI]

ENROLLMENT (CONT.)

Homeless children and youth have the right to enroll in school immediately, even if lacking documentation normally required for enrollment

If a student does not have immunizations, or immunization or medical records, the local liaison must assist immediately in obtaining them, and the student must be enrolled in the interim

Districts must transport homeless students to and from the school of origin, at a parent’s or guardian’s request (or at the liaison’s request for unaccompanied youth)

If the student’s temporary residence and the school of origin are in the same district, that district must arrange transportation

If the student is living outside the district of origin, the district where the student is living and the district of origin must determine how to divide the responsibility and cost, or they must share the responsibility and cost equally

TRANSPORTATION

TRANSPORTATION (CONT.)

Districts must provide students in homeless situations with transportation services comparable to those provided to other students

Districts can consider other safe transportation options beyond the school bus

DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Whenever a dispute arises, the parent, guardian, or youth must be provided with a written explanation of the school’s decision, including the right to appeal

DISPUTE RESOLUTION (CONT.)

While a dispute is being resolved, the student must be admitted immediately into the requested school and provided with services

YOUNG HOMELESS CHILDREN

Homeless children have access to public preschool programs

Local liaisons must ensure that families and children have access to Head Start, Even Start, and other public preschool programs administered by the school district

IDEA and McKinney-Vento staff must work together to ensure that young homeless children who may need special education services are identified, evaluated,and served (IDEA’s Child Find provision)

UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH:THE BASICS

An unaccompanied youth’s living arrangement must meet the Act’s definition of homeless for him/her to qualify for McKinney-Vento services

The McKinney-Vento Act defines unaccompanied youth as a youth “not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian”

Local liaisons must support unaccompanied youth in school selection and dispute resolution processes

UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH:THE BASICS (CONT.)

“Age limits”Lower: There is no lower age limit for

unaccompanied youthUpper: The upper age limit (as with all McKinney-

Vento eligible students) is your state’s upper age limit for public education

A youth can be eligible regardless of whether he/she was asked to leave the home or “chose” to leave; sometimes there is “more than meets the eye” for youth’s home life situations

THE SCHOOL’S CHARGE

Schools first and foremost are educational agenciesThe school’s primary responsibility and goal is to enroll and

educate, in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Act (federal); federal law supersedes state and local law

Schools do not need to understand and/or agree with all aspects of a student’s home life to educate him/her

UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH:STRATEGIES

Develop caretaker forms, self-enrollment forms, and/or other forms to replace typical proof of guardianship; forms should be crafted carefully so they do not create further barriers or delay enrollment;

Be willing to be flexible with students and provide extra supports

$ $ $ $

WHAT FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP HOMELESS

STUDENTS

THE TITLE IA SET-ASIDE:THE BASICS

Title IA requires districts to set aside Title IA funds to be used to serve homeless students; there is no federally mandated amount/method of calculation

Homeless students are automatically eligible for Title IA services, even if they don’t attend a Title IA school or meet the academic standards required of other students for eligibility

Homeless students are eligible to receive Title IA support for the rest of any academic year in which they become permanently housed

USING FUNDS FOR HOMELESS STUDENTS

#1 McKinney-Vento Sub-grant Awards 2014-2017Alamogordo Los Lunas T or CAlbuquerque MagdalenaBelen GadsdenDeming Moriarty/EdgewoodFarmington Rio RanchoGallup Santa FeLas Cruces Socorro

#2 Title 1 Homeless Set-aside funds can be used to support homeless student’s needs

USING FUNDS FOR HOMELESS STUDENTS

PERMISSIBLE USAGES FOR BOTH TITLE 1 AND

MCKINNEY-VENTO $:

Used only when not available from other sourcesClothing/shoes (school uniform/dress code/gym uniform)Fees to participate in the general education programSchool suppliesBirth certificates necessary to enroll in schoolMedical/dental services (glasses, hearing aids,

immunizations)Counseling for issues affecting learning

Outreach services to students living in shelters, motels, and other temporary residences

Extended learning time or tutoring supportSupporting parent involvementSupporting the position of the local liaisonTransportation to/from the school of origin for the regular

school day while a student is experiencing homelessness

PROHIBITED USAGES OF FUNDS

RentUtilitiesClothing for parents

ACCESS TO SERVICES

Homeless students are automatically eligible to receive free school meals IMMEDIATELY; the USDA permits local liaisons and shelter directors to qualify homeless students for free meals by providing a list of names with effective dates

Undocumented students have the right to attend public school (Plyler v. Doe) and are covered by the McKinney-Vento Act to the same extent as other eligible students

WHAT DOES HOMELESSNESS LOOK LIKE IN YOUR

SCHOOLS?

School/Homeless Count

Albuquerque - 5,398

Alamogordo - 115Belen - 226Bernalillo - 225Central Consolidated - 276

Gallup - 505Cesar Chavez HS - 12

School/Homeless Count

Hatch - 16Hobbs - ? Rio Rancho - 490Las Cruces - 322Lordsburg - 26Lovington - 21Silver City - 128

WHAT DOES HOMELESSNESS LOOK LIKE IN YOUR

SCHOOLS?Socorro - 21Taos - 17Roswell - 80 Santa Fe – 1,242

Espanola - 0Deming - 340 Portales - 0

FOR MORE INFORMATION

State Coordinator for Homeless Education:Dana Malone

NCHE website: www.serve.org/nche

NCHE helpline: 800-308-2145 or homeless@serve.org

NCHE National Partner:National Association for the Education of Homeless

Children and Youth (NAEHCY): www.naehcy.org