About Homeless Education
Definition of Homeless Children and Youth
Any displaced child or youth who is living in a shelter, motel, inadequate trailer or house, is staying temporarily with relatives or friends due to economic hardship or loss of housing, or is living in any other homeless situation has educational rights under the McKinney-Vento Act.
November is Runaway and Homeless Youth Month
Here is Governor Hickenlooper’s proclamation regarding this designation.
Denver Post Feature
Dana Scott, CDE's State Homeless Education Coodinator, worked with Jennifer Brown from the Denver Post on an article illustrating the impacts of homelessness on students’ lives, including their education. The article also provides information on the McKinney-Vento Act and the educational rights of homeless students.
Free Summer Meals for Kids and Teens
Every summer, hundreds of community sites across Colorado offer nutritious meals at no cost to children and teens. Many summer food sites also offer engaging activities to ensure kids have fun while also getting needed nutrition.
Colorado families can find nearby summer food sites by using the online, interactive map at KidsFoodFinder.org, or by calling Hunger Free Colorado's statewide food resource hotline toll-free at (855) 855-4626. Share this information with others in your community, so more Colorado kids can access healthy meals when school is not in session!
The statewide summer food program is supported by the USDA, Colorado Department of Education, Hunger Free Colorado, and many sponsors and sites across the state. (This institution is an equal opportunity provider.)
Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015
Important Changes for McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Program
On December 10, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). ESSA strengthens ESEA in notable ways, including new provisions related to the education of homeless children and youth.
The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, includes changes to strengthen and improve the education of over 1.3 million children and youth experiencing homelessness, from early childhood through high school graduation. It incorporates best practices from states and school districts across the country to increase the identification, enrollment, stability, and school success of children and youth experiencing homelessness. ESSA increases resources for homeless students by expanding the availability and use of Title IA funds, and by raising the authorized funding level for the McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth program. Please use the following link for a summary of the major amendments on homelessness in The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015.
Between now and when ESSA goes into effect (Timeline for Implementation), CDE will be working to make available resources and guidance from the U.S. Department of Education that reflect changes made by ESSA.
On July 27, 2016 the U.S. Department of Education released a complete packet of materials including guidance, fact sheets for educators and a press release from Dr. John King, U.S. Secretary of Education. The materials can be accessed through the National Association for the Educaiton of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) website: http://www.naehcy.org/legislation-and-policy/legislative-updates-news/us-department-education-releases-homeless-guidance
Please visit http://center.serve.org/nche/legis/essa.php and http://www.naehcy.org/educational-resources/essa for more information or email homeless@serve.org with questions.
