**[Slide 1]{.underline}**

National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE

[Linking Resources for Homeless Children and Their Families]{.underline}

**[Slide 2]{.underline}**

[Dramatic Rise in Family Homelessness]{.underline}

-   [During the 1990s, the number of children and youth experiencing
    homelessness in the U.S. increased nearly 3.5 fold.]{.underline}

-   [Nearly 1 million school-aged children experience homelessness
    during a given year (ED Report to Congress, 2002).]{.underline}

-   [Children comprise 39 percent of the 3.4 million people experiencing
    homelessness over the course of the year (NCFH, 2002).]{.underline}

-   [Over 40 percent of children living in homeless shelters are under
    the age of five.]{.underline}

**[Slide 3]{.underline}**

[Shelter for Families Experiencing Homelessness]{.underline}

-   [Requests for emergency shelter increased by an average of 13
    percent in 2001; requests for shelter by homeless families alone
    increased by 22 percent.]{.underline}

-   [Emergency shelters in urban areas are turning away 52 percent of
    all requests; rural areas often have no shelters at
    all.]{.underline}

-   [Of children and youths identified as homeless in 2002, 35percent
    lived in shelters; 34 percent, doubled-up with family or friends;
    and 23 percent, in motels and other locations, such as on the
    streets, in cars, in abandoned buildings, or in
    campgrounds.]{.underline}

**[Slide 4]{.underline}**

[Educational Challenges]{.underline}

-   [Twenty percent of children in homeless situations do not attend
    school.]{.underline}

-   [Homeless children have four times the number of developmental
    delays and double the number of learning disabilities than their
    housed peers.]{.underline}

-   [Homeless students are twice as likely to repeat a grade because of
    frequent absences than their housed peers.]{.underline}

-   [Within a year:]{.underline}

    -   [41 percent of children experiencing homelessness attend two
        different schools.]{.underline}

    -   [28 percent attend three or more different schools.]{.underline}

**[Slide 5]{.underline}**

[Health Challenges]{.underline}

-   [Children experiencing homelessness have much higher incidences of
    acute and chronic illnesses.]{.underline}

-   [Many homeless children do not receive preventive or routine
    healthcare.]{.underline}

-   [Poor nutrition, experienced by many homeless children, aggravates
    poor health.]{.underline}

-   [47 percent of children experiencing homelessness have problems such
    as anxiety, depression, or withdrawal, compared to 18 percent for
    other children (Better Homes Fund, 1999).]{.underline}

**[Slide 6]{.underline}**

[Emotional Challenges]{.underline}

-   [Chaotic, fragmented lifestyle]{.underline}

-   [Loss of friends]{.underline}

-   [Feelings of hopelessness]{.underline}

-   [Feeling like they don't fit in]{.underline}

-   [Fear of the future]{.underline}

-   [Lack of trust]{.underline}

-   [No sense of permanence]{.underline}

-   [Fatalistic view of life]{.underline}

-   [Fewer safety nets]{.underline}

-   [Temptations to seek unsafe and unhealthy solutions]{.underline}

-   [Lack of caring adults]{.underline}

-   [Forced to make adult decisions before their time]{.underline}

**[Slide 7]{.underline}**

[The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements
Act]{.underline}

-   [Originally authorized in 1987 as the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless
    Assistance Act (P.L. 100-77)]{.underline}

    -   [Chief Sponsor, Representative Stewart B. McKinney (R-CT)
        (1931-1987)]{.underline}

    -   [Co-Author, Representative Bruce F. Vento (D-MN)
        (1940-2000)]{.underline}

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-   [Amended in 1990 (P.L. 101-645)]{.underline}

-   [Amended in 1994 as part of the Improving America's Schools Act
    (P.L. 103-382)]{.underline}

-   [Reauthorized in 2001 as the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education
    Assistance Improvements Act, part of the No Child Left Behind Act
    (P.L. 107-110)]{.underline}

-   [Each successive reauthorization strengthened the legislation by
    adding new provisions.]{.underline}

**[Slide 8]{.underline}**

[Who Are the Homeless?]{.underline}

[McKinney-Vento Definition of Homeless Children and Youths]{.underline}

["The term \'homeless children and youths\' -- ]{.underline}

[(A) Means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime
residence]{.underline}

[(B) Includes- ]{.underline}

[(i) children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons
due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; 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; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting
foster care placement.]{.underline}

**[Slide 9]{.underline}**

[Who Are the Homeless? (continued)]{.underline}

[(ii) Children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence in a
public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular
sleeping accommodation for human beings]{.underline}

[(iii) Children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces,
abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or
similar settings]{.underline}

[(iv) Migratory children who qualify as homeless for the purposes of
this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described
in clauses (i) through (iii)."]{.underline}

**[Slide 10]{.underline}**

[Requirements of McKinney-Vento State and District
Responsibilities]{.underline}

[McKinney-Vento says:]{.underline}

-   [States must designate a State Coordinator of Homeless Education and
    revise State policies or legislation that pose educational barriers
    to homeless children and youth.]{.underline}

-   [Districts (LEAs) must designate a Local Homeless Education Liaison,
    regardless of whether the district is receiving M-V subgrant
    dollars. The district must also revise state policies or legislation
    that pose educational barriers to homeless children and
    youth.]{.underline}

**[Slide 11]{.underline}**

[Requirements of McKinney-Vento Identification]{.underline}

[McKinney-Vento says:]{.underline}

-   [Liaisons must ensure that children and youth in homeless situations
    are identified by school personnel and through coordination
    activities with other entities and agencies.]{.underline}

**[Slide 12]{.underline}**

[Identification Strategies]{.underline}

-   [Coordinate with community service agencies, such as shelters, soup
    kitchens, food banks, street outreach teams, drop-in centers,
    welfare departments, housing departments, public health departments,
    and faith-based organizations.]{.underline}

-   [Provide outreach materials and posters where there is a frequent
    influx of low-income families and youth in high-risk situations,
    including motels and campgrounds.]{.underline}

-   [Provide awareness activities for school staff (registrars,
    secretaries, school counselors, school social workers, school
    nurses, teachers, bus drivers, administrators, etc.).]{.underline}

-   [Make special efforts to identify preschool children, including
    asking about the siblings of school-age children.]{.underline}

-   [Avoid using the word \"homeless\" in initial contacts with school
    personnel, families, or youth.]{.underline}

**[Slide 13]{.underline}**

[Requirements of McKinney-Vento Enrollment]{.underline}

[McKinney-Vento says:]{.underline}

-   [Liaisons must ensure that students enroll in, and have full and
    equal opportunity to succeed in, the schools of the
    LEA.]{.underline}

-   [Schools must ]{.underline}*[immediately]{.underline}*[ enroll
    homeless children and youth, even if they are unable to provide
    records normally required for enrollment.]{.underline}

**[Slide 14]{.underline}**

[Requirements of McKinney-Vento School Selection]{.underline}

[McKinney-Vento says:]{.underline}

-   [Children and youth in homeless situations can stay in their schools
    of origin, to the extent feasible, or enroll in any public school
    that students living in the same attendance area are eligible to
    attend, according to their best interest.]{.underline}

-   [Students can stay in their school of origin the entire time they
    are homeless, and until the end of any academic year in which they
    move into permanent housing.]{.underline}

**[Slide 15]{.underline}**

[Feasibility ]{.underline}

[U.S. Department of Education Considerations]{.underline}

-   [Student-centered, individualized determination]{.underline}

-   [Age of the child or youth]{.underline}

-   [Safety of the student]{.underline}

-   [Length of anticipated stay in shelter]{.underline}

-   [Student\'s need for special instructional programs]{.underline}

-   [Impact of commute on education]{.underline}

-   [Time remaining in the school year]{.underline}

**[Slide 16]{.underline}**

[WHY SCHOOL OF ORIGIN?]{.underline}

\
[WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF MOBILITY]{.underline}

-   [Students who switch schools frequently score lower on standardized
    tests (study found mobile students scored 20 points lower than
    non-mobile students).]{.underline}

-   [Mobility also hurts non-mobile students (study found average test
    scores for non-mobile students were significantly lower in high
    schools with high student mobility rates).]{.underline}

-   [It takes children 4-6 months to recover academically after changing
    schools.]{.underline}

-   [Students suffer psychologically, socially, and academically from
    mobility. Mobile students are less likely to participate in
    extracurricular activities and more likely to act out or get into
    trouble.]{.underline}

-   [Mobility during high school greatly diminishes the likelihood of
    graduation (study found students who changed high schools even once
    were less than half as likely as stable students to graduate, even
    controlling for other factors).]{.underline}

**[Slide 17]{.underline}**

[Requirements of McKinney-Vento Transportation]{.underline}

[McKinney-Vento says:]{.underline}

-   [LEAs must provide students experiencing homelessness with
    transportation to and from their school of origin, at a parent's or
    guardian's request.]{.underline}

-   [In addition to providing transportation to the school of origin,
    LEAs must provide students in homeless situations with
    transportation services comparable to those provided to other
    students.]{.underline}

**[Slide 18]{.underline}**

[Transportation Strategies]{.underline}

-   [Coordinate with local housing authorities and placement agencies to
    house students near their schools of origin.]{.underline}

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-   [Re-route school buses (including special education, magnet school
    and other buses), and ensure that buses travel to shelters,
    transitional living programs, and motels where homeless students
    reside.]{.underline}

-   [Develop close ties among LEA homeless liaisons, school staff and
    pupil transportation staff, and designate a district-level point of
    contact to arrange and coordinate transportation.]{.underline}

-   [Provide passes for public transportation, including passes for
    caretakers when necessary.]{.underline}

-   [Take advantage of transportation systems used/provided by public
    assistance agencies.]{.underline}

-   [Use approved van or taxi services.]{.underline}

**[Slide 19]{.underline}**

[Requirements of McKinney-Vento Unaccompanied Youth]{.underline}

[Unaccompanied youth are those "not in the physical custody of a parent
or guardian" and include young people who have run away from home or
have been forced to leave their homes. \[42 U.S.C. 11434A(6)
(2002)\]]{.underline}

[McKinney-Vento says:]{.underline}

-   [LEA liaisons must help unaccompanied youth choose and enroll in a
    school, after considering the youth's wishes.]{.underline}

-   [School personnel must be made aware of the specific needs of
    runaway and homeless youth.]{.underline}

-   [The state plan must describe how homeless youth and youth separated
    from the public schools are identified and accorded equal access to
    appropriate secondary education and support services.]{.underline}

**[Slide 20]{.underline}**

[Strategies for Serving Unaccompanied Youth]{.underline}

-   [Train LEA and school staff on the definition, rights, and needs of
    unaccompanied youth.]{.underline}

-   [Develop collaborative relationships with local shelters, transition
    living programs, street outreach teams, and other service providers
    for unaccompanied youth.]{.underline}

-   [Develop affidavits of residence or other forms to replace typical
    proof of residency, which unaccompanied youth will often be unable
    to produce. Be careful to craft the forms so they do not create
    further barriers or delay enrollment.]{.underline}

-   [Use creative techniques to identify youth in homeless situations,
    including youth living doubled-up with friends or relatives, while
    respecting their privacy and dignity.]{.underline}

-   [Permit exceptions to school policies on class schedules, tardiness,
    absences, and credits to accommodate the needs of unaccompanied
    youth.]{.underline}

**[Slide 21]{.underline}**

[Preschool Services to Homeless Children]{.underline}

-   [McKinney-Vento applies to preschools operated by LEAs and
    SEAs.]{.underline}

-   [State plans must ensure that children have access to preschool
    programs. \[722(g)(i)(F)(i)\]]{.underline}

-   [Liaisons must ensure that families and children receive Head Start,
    Even Start and preschool program services.
    \[722(g)(6)(A)(iii)\]]{.underline}

-   [State Coordinators must coordinate with social services agencies,
    child development and preschool program personnel and other agencies
    to provide comprehensive services to preschoolers. \[722(f)(4) and
    (5)(A)\]]{.underline}

-   [U.S. HHS issued a memo describing how Head Start grantees should
    collaborate with State Coordinators, liaisons and community agencies
    and adjust their programs to serve children in homeless situations.
    (6/5/92)]{.underline}

**[Slide 22]{.underline}**

[Have a question about homeless education?]{.underline}

[Have a student who may be eligible for services under the
McKinney-Vento Act?]{.underline}

[Need clarification on Federal, State, or local policies related to
homeless education?]{.underline}

[Who Can Help?]{.underline}

[School District Liaison for Homeless Education]{.underline}

[Every school district is required by law to have a local liaison to
address issues related to homeless education and coordinate services for
children and youth experiencing homelessness. To find out who the local
liaison in is your district, contact your state coordinator for homeless
education.]{.underline}

[State Coordinator for Homeless Education]{.underline}

[Each state department has a coordinator for homeless education. To find
out who your state coordinator is, look on the NCHE website: or call the
NCHE HelpLine at 800-308-2145.]{.underline}

[National Partners for Homeless Education]{.underline}

[The national partners work closely with one another to provide
materials and information to school districts, service providers, and
parents in a coordinated and comprehensive fashion.]{.underline}

[U.S. Department of Education]{.underline}

[The coordinator for the Homeless Education Program at the U.S.
Department of Education will provide up-to-date information regarding
Departmental issues related to homeless education. See the back of this
page for contact information.]{.underline}

**[Slide 23]{.underline}**

[National Partners for Homeless Education]{.underline}

[National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
(NAEHCY)]{.underline}

[Patricia Popp, President]{.underline}

[(Virginia State Coordinator for Homeless Education)]{.underline}

[Ph: 757-221-7776]{.underline}

[National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE)]{.underline}

[Diana Bowman, Director]{.underline}

[Ph: 336-315-7453, 800-308-2145 (toll-free helpline)]{.underline}

[National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP)]{.underline}

[Patricia Julianelle, Education Staff Attorney]{.underline}

[ Ph: 202-638-2535]{.underline}

[U.S. Department of Education]{.underline}

[Gary Rutkin, Coordinator, Education for Homeless Children and Youth
Program]{.underline}

[Ph: 202-260-4412]{.underline}