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McKinney-Vento Homeless Education
About Homeless Education
- The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is the primary piece of legislation related to the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness.
- Specific provisions ensure the enrollment, accessibility, and educational stability for students lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
Who qualifies for McKinney-Vento?
Any child or youth who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence including:
- Those who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship,
- are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations;
- are living in emergency or transitional shelters; or are abandoned in hospitals;*
- Those who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings
- Those who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
- Those identified by the Migrant Education Program (as defined in section 1309 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) who qualify as homeless because the children are living in circumstances described in the bullet points above
McKinney-Vento Liaisons
- Every school district has a designated McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Liaison responsible for identifying MKV students and providing resources to help these students.
- Refer to our list of liaisons to find the liaison in your district.
McKinney-Vento Liaison’s Roles and Responsibilities
- The local liaison is the key to ensuring homeless children and youths receive the services they need.
- Required in all local education agencies regardless of subgrant status.
- The liaison is the primary contact between homeless families, school and local education agency/district staff, shelter workers, and other service providers.
- In 42 U.S.C. § 11432(g)(6)(A), the McKinney-Vento Act lists the responsibilities of the local liaison including ensuring the protection of student and parent rights outlined under the law.
Reference the Homeless Liaison Toolkit for more information (https://nche.ed.gov/homeless-liaison-toolkit/).
News and Announcements
College Admission Trainings with Colorado State University’s Fostering Success Program
Colorado State University’s Fostering Success Program is offering three virtual sessions to discuss transitions into higher education for highly mobile students. McKinney-Vento district liaisons, academic school counselors and McKinney-Vento and Foster high school students are welcome to attend. Please see details attached and linked below.
- Campus Support Programs on Wednesday, March 12th from 1:00pm-2:00pm on Zoom
- What To Expect on Friday, March 28th from 12:00pm-1:00pm on Zoom
- Successful Connections on Thursday, April 3rd from 10:00-11:00 on Zoom
Quick Reference
Educational Rights of McKinney-Vento Students
FAQs on the Educational Rights of Homeless Children & Youth
Educational Rights of McKinney-Vento Students
- Access to a McKinney-Vento Homeless Educational Liaison in their school district
- Identification through outreach and coordination activities
- Immediate enrollment with full and equal opportunity to succeed in school
- Choice between the neighborhood school or the school of origin (school last enrolled in or attended)
- Transportation to the school of origin (including preschool)
- Immediate access to free school meals and educational services for which they are eligible
- Automatic eligibility for Title I, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015
- Referrals to health care, dental, mental health and substance abuse, housing, and other appropriate services
- Unaccompanied youth are informed of their status as independent students on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- You can also refer to the US Department of Education's Education for Homeless Children and Youth site for more information and use the ED Data Express website to browse education data by state.
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