Definition of Children Experiencing Homelessness
According to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act, the term "homeless children and youths" means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence and includes children and youths who are:
sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason
living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations
living in emergency or transitional shelters (includes transitional housing programs)
abandoned in hospitals or are awaiting foster care placement
staying in 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
living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings
runaways or unaccompanied (not in the physical custody of the parent or guardian)
migratory who qualify as homeless because of living in circumstances described above
Educational Rights of Children Experiencing Homelessness
In compliance with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act, each school district is required to designate a liaison for homeless children and youths. Parents/guardians should contact the liaison to obtain assistance, services and resolution of disputes that arise regarding the enrollment process.
Children experiencing homelessness have a right to:
Consistently attend school no matter where they stay at night (shelter, motel, car, temporarily with family/friends)
Participate fully in all school activities and programs for which they are eligible
Continue to attend the same school upon moving away from the school’s attendance area or school district
Receive transportation from where they are currently staying back to the school of origin
Enroll in local school where they are staying without a permanent residence or proof of residency
Immediately attend school while the school obtains records (birth certificate, immunization record, cumulative records, special education documents)
Automatically receive free/reduced price lunches and other services of the food program without an application