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.
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.
McKinney-Vento Back to School 2016
As a new school year begins, the following resources will be helpful in serving your students experiencing homelessness.
Liaison and Back to School Information:
- Federal Brief on the Role of the Liaison and Implementation Strategies
- Determining Eligibility (document with sample questions and other insights on how to assess McKinney eligibility)
- McKinney-Vento Frequently Asked Questions
- 10 Things YOU Can Do to Help Homeless Children Go Back To School (can be distributed to increase school and community awareness)
- Common Signs of Homelessness (flyer)
- Tip Sheets for Multiple Audiences (can assist in building awareness and collaboration to support McKinney eligible students)
Additional McKinney-Vento Back to School Resources and Information:
- NCHE Back to School Webinars
- LEA Homeless Liaison Toolkit
- Title IA Homeless Set-Asides
- Higher Education Homeless Resources
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.
