McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

The Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program is authorized under Title VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq.) (McKinney-Vento Act). The McKinney-Vento Act was originally authorized in 1987 and most recently re-authorized on December 10th, 2016 by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The McKinney-Vento Act is designed to address the challenges that homeless children and youths have faced in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school.

Under the McKinney-Vento Act, State educational agencies (SEAs) must ensure that each homeless child and youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including public preschool education, as other children and youths. Homeless children and youths must have access to the educational and related services that they need to enable them to meet the same challenging State academic standards to which all students are held. In addition, homeless students may not be separated from the mainstream school environment. SEAs and local educational agencies (LEAs) are required to review and undertake steps to revise laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as barriers to the identification, enrollment, attendance, or success in school of homeless children and youths.

Definition of Homeless (McKinney-Vento Act Sec. 725(2); 42 U.S.C 11435(2))
Children who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence:

• "Double up" - Sharing the housing of others due to the loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reasons.
• Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping grounds, due to lack of adequate alternative accommodations.
• Living in emergency or transitional shelters.
• Living in a public or private place not designed for humans to live.
• Migratory children living in the above circumstances
• Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings
• Unaccompanied Youth - Children or youth who meet the definition of homeless and are not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian

Residency and Educational Rights
Students who are in temporary, inadequate, and homeless living situations have the following rights at South Central Community School Corporation:

• Immediate enrollment in the school they last attended or the school in whose attendance area they are currently staying even if they do not have all of the documents normally required at the time of enrollment;
• Access to free meals and textbooks, Title I and other educational programs, and other comparable services including transportation;
• Attendance in the same classes and activities that students in other living situations also participate in without fear of being separated or treated differently due to their housing situations.

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Resources

• Homeless Students' Rights
• Parent Brochure
• LaPorte County Resource Guide
• Porter County Resource Guide
• LaPorte County Homelessness Prevention Services
• Porter County Homelessness Prevention Services
• IDOE McKinney-Vento Program

Contacts
Please contact a McKinney-Vento liaison for more information and/or to report a homeless student situation:

Corporation Liaison