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The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

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Title: The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act


1
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act Part
IIDigging Deeper Law into Practice
  • National Center for Homeless Education
  • Jan Moore Christina Dukes
  • Beth Hartness Diana Bowman

2
Some things to keep in mind
  • Feel free to ask questions in the chat pod at any
    time
  • When we stop for questions or work on a scenario,
    press 6 to unmute if you wish to speak, then
    press 6 to re-mute afterwards
  • Please dont place the call on hold at any time

3
Eligibility Doubled-up
  • The McKinney-Vento Act qualifies doubled-up
    students as homeless sharing the housing of
    others due to loss of housing, economic hardship,
    or similar reason
  • Does the living situation not meet any of the
    three conditions of the definition meaning is it
    not fixed, regular, or adequate?
  • Consider the way in which the doubling-up came to
    be Was it planned and agreed upon for mutual
    benefit or was it entered into due to hardship
    and/or a crisis?
  • How long-term is the living arrangement?

4
Eligibility Scenario
  • In March, the Maynard family lost its housing due
    to a fire. Mr. Maynards brother is letting the
    family live in a trailer on his property until
    the house is repaired.
  • Would you qualify the Maynard kids for services
    under McKinney-Vento? Why or why not? Do you need
    to ask any questions to help you make your
    determination?
  • If the repairs on the house will not be completed
    until the following December, will the children
    be eligible for the whole time?

5
Eligibility Awaiting Foster Care Placement
  • Children in foster care face many of the same
    challenges as children experiencing homelessness
    (high residential and school mobility, academic
    challenges, educational discontinuity)
  • Eligibility must be reviewed in the context of
    state and local child welfare policies
  • View through the lens of lacking a fixed,
    regular, and adequate nighttime residence

6
Eligibility Scenario
  • Several weeks ago, Lisa was removed from her
    parents home by the department of social
    services. She was placed in a group home until an
    appropriate foster placement can be determined.
    The group home is in a different school district
    from where Lisa was attending school. The amount
    of time finding a more long-term placement will
    take is uncertain.
  • Would Lisa be eligible for services under
    McKinney-Vento? Why or why not?

7
School of Origin and Feasibility
  • Feasibility factors listed in U.S. Department of
    Education Guidance
  • the age of the child or youth
  • the distance of a commute and the impact it may
    have on the student's education
  • personal safety issues
  • a student's need for special instruction (e.g.,
    special education and related services)
  • the length of anticipated stay in a temporary
    shelter or other temporary location
  • the time remaining in the school year

8
How do you determine feasibility?
  • Case-by-case determination
  • What is in the childs best interest?
  • There is no specific time or distance limit
    placed on transporting a homeless child to
    his/her school of origin consider the unique
    situation of the student and how the
    transportation arrangement will affect the
    students education

9
Feasibility Scenario
  • Last May, the Miller family lost its housing and
    moved in with relatives 15 miles away from where
    their son Mark was attending school. Its the
    beginning of the school year, and the family
    would like for Mark to continue to attend in his
    school of origin.
  • What are some of the issues to help the family
    consider if this decision is feasible?
  • What additional information do you need?

10
Unaccompanied Youth The Basics
  • The McKinney-Vento defines unaccompanied youth as
    a youth not in the physical custody of a parent
    or guardian
  • An unaccompanied youths living arrangement must
    meet the Acts definition of homeless for him/her
    to qualify for McKinney-Vento services
  • There is no lower age limit for unaccompanied
    youth the upper age limit (as with all
    McKinney-Vento eligible students) is your states
    upper age limit for public education usually 21,
    sometimes older for special education
  • A youth can be eligible regardless of whether
    he/she was asked to leave the home or chose to
    leave remember that sometimes there is more
    than meets the eye for youths home life
    situations

11
What are some good strategies for serving
unaccompanied youth?
  • Train all district and school staff who work with
    youth (enrollment staff, secretaries, guidance
    counselors, principals, and teachers) on the
    definition, rights, and needs of unaccompanied
    youth
  • Develop caretaker forms, self-enrollment forms
    for unaccompanied youth, and other forms to
    replace typical proof of guardianship such forms
    should be crafted carefully so they do not create
    further barriers or delay enrollment visit
    www.serve.org/nche/downloads/toolkit/app_d.pdf
    for sample forms
  • Become familiar with state and local policies
    related to unaccompanied youth (medical signature
    authority, reporting, emancipation)

12
What are some good strategies for serving
unaccompanied youth? (cont.)
  • Provide unaccompanied youth the opportunity to
    enroll in diversified learning opportunities,
    such as vocational education, credit-for-work
    programs, and flexible school hours yet dont
    assume that they need alternative learning
    programs
  • Provide a safe place and trained mentor at
    school for unaccompanied youth to access as
    needed
  • Permit exceptions to school policies on class
    schedules, tardiness, absences and credits to
    accommodate the needs of unaccompanied youth
  • Assist with credit accrual and recovery

13
Unaccompanied Youth Scenario
  • Delores is a 16-year-old who has come to your
    school to enroll. She said she left home because
    she cant get along with her stepfather and is
    staying with a girlfriend. Her mom wants her to
    come home says she has a perfectly good home to
    come to and does not want her to enroll in
    another school.
  • Should the school enroll Delores?
  • What else could the school do to support Delores
    in her education?
  • To what other organizations could the school
    refer Delores for additional support?

14
The Title IA set-aside
  • Title IA of the No Child Left Behind Act requires
    districts to set aside Title IA funds to be used
    to serve homeless students these funds can be
    used
  • To support homeless students not attending a
    Title IA school
  • To provide services to homeless students that are
    not ordinarily provided to other Title I students
    and that are not available from other sources,
    according to the need of the homeless student

15
The Title IA set-aside
  • Federal law does not give any set method for
    determining the set-aside some suggested methods
    include
  • Project for next year based on this years
    numbers and any anticipated new needs or change
    in the homeless population
  • Multiply the of homeless students by the Title
    IA per pupil allocation
  • Match your McKinney-Vento subgrant
  • Reserve a of your Title IA funds based on your
    districts poverty level

16
The Title IA set-aside
  • Neither Title I nor McKinney-Vento provides a
    specific list of approved usages of Title I
    set-aside funds, however the funds must be used
    to support the academic achievement of the child
  • Title IA set-aside dollars can not be used to
    transport a homeless student to the school of
    origin due to supplanting restrictions

17
Title IA scenario
  • Jimmy and his mom are currently living in a
    domestic violence shelter. He is continuing to
    attend his school of origin, although the shelter
    is outside of the school of origins residential
    zone. His teachers have recommended that he
    enroll in the schools after school tutoring
    program, but his mom cant pick him up after the
    program. Also, his teachers have noted that
    Jimmy seems troubled. His teachers and his mom
    agree that he might benefit from counseling.
  • How could the school district use Title IA funds
    to help Jimmy?

18
How can I get more information and help?
  • Call your State Coordinator http//www.serve.org/
    nche/states/state_resources.php
  • Get to know local liaisons from other school
    districts
  • Join the NCHE listserv e-mail bhartnes_at_serve.org
  • Download the Local Homeless Education Liaison
    Toolkit and/or NCHE briefs and keep handy as a
    reference
  • Contact NCHE 800-308-2145 or homeless_at_serve.org
  • Attend the 2009 NAEHCY conference www.naehcy.org
  • Create awareness, commitment and buy-in among
    staff
  • Become aware of community agencies make them
    aware of the homeless education program
  • Invite yourself to the table of community
    agencies
  • You are not alone!
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