Homeless Education Program
Homeless Education Program
Purpose
The program was designed to provide assistance to homeless students and families in compliance with the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act which is an integral part of Every Child Succeeds Act. School personnel works in collaboration with community service agencies in an effort to maximize access to various educational, social and enrichment programs which promote academic success and student achievement.
The program was designed to provide assistance to homeless students and families in compliance with the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act which is an integral part of Every Child Succeeds Act. School personnel works in collaboration with community service agencies in an effort to maximize access to various educational, social and enrichment programs which promote academic success and student achievement.
- Remove barriers to academic success.
- Identify homeless students via the Student Residency Questionnaire (SRQ)
- Ensure District compliance with federal mandates.
- Assist homeless students to stay on track to graduate.
- Provide access to program services and community resources.
- Provide consultation to support school staff i.e. school counselors.
Program Objectives
- Remove barriers to academic success for McKinney Vento eligible students by providing needed supplies such as backpacks, school supplies, clothing, transportation, etc.
- Educate students and parents on their educational rights.
- Promote parent participation in school-related activities.
Homeless Definition
The McKinney-Vento Act defines a "homeless" student as a school-aged youth, who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and may include:
- a primary nighttime residence that is a shelter designated to provide temporary living accommodations (motels/hotels, shelters or transitional housing).
- living in a car, park, garage, abandoned building or any public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, regular sleeping accommodations.
- living temporarily in a trailer park or camping area due to the lack of adequate living accommodations.
- living "doubled-up" with another family, due to loss of housing, stemming from financial problems.
- residing in a home for school-aged, unwed mothers or mothers-to-be, if there are no other available living accommodations.
- being abandoned at a hospital.
- being an abandoned, runaway or throwaway youth or migratory child living in any of the circumstances described above.
- special populations who are also eligible are unaccompanied youth, homeless pregnant/parenting teens or 0-5-year-old children.