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 (immunization record, cumulative records, special education documents)

• Automatically receive free/reduced price lunches and other services of the food program without an application