Immediate Enrollment Under McKinney-Vento: Keeping Students Safe

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Immediate Enrollment Under McKinney-Vento
Keeping Students Safe

• Through it all, school is probably the only
  thing that has kept me going. I know that every
  day that I walk in those doors, I can stop
  thinking about my problems for the next six hours
  and concentrate on what is most important to me.
  Without the support of my school system, I would
  not be as well off as I am today. School keeps me
  motivated to move on, and encourages me to find a
  better life for myself.
• Carrie Arnold, LeTendre Scholar, 2002

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Our Agenda Today

• Schools can play a pivotal role in supporting the
  safety of children and youth experiencing
  homelessness, including runaway youth, youth who
  have been put out of their homes, abducted
  children and survivors of domestic violence.
• This presentation will give an overview of
  homelessness, McKinney-Vento, and how we can make
  our school district a safe place.

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Warm-Up Activity

• Work with your colleagues to complete a monthly
  budget.
• Left side of the room budget for a 2-parent
  household with 2 school-aged children and 1
  preschooler
• Right side of the room budget for a
  single-parent household with 2 school-aged
  children
• Try to cut costs as much as possible, while being
  realistic.

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Warm-Up Activity (cont.)

• What did you find?
• How would your hypothetical family survive a
  serious illness, loss of job, car trouble, or any
  unexpected bill?
• How could your hypothetical family save money to
  buy a home or have a cushion for unexpected
  expenses?

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How many children and youth experience
homelessness?

• Over 1.35 million children nationally
• enrolled in school in our state/district
• (roughly X (insert ) of all children and youth
  in state/district)
• 10 of all children living in poverty
• Over 40 of all children
• who are homeless are
• under the age of 5

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Causes of Homelessness

• Lack of affordable housing
• Severe poverty
• Health problems
• Loss of job
• Domestic violence
• Natural and other disasters
• Abuse/neglect (unaccompanied youth)

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Unaccompanied Youth--Who Are They?

• Definition a McKinney-Vento child or youth who
  is not in the physical custody of a parent or
  guardian
• Studies have found that 20-50 of unaccompanied
  youth were sexually abused in their homes 40-60
  were physically abused
• Only about half of homeless youth are considered
  to have a chance of family reconciliation

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Unaccompanied Youth--Who Are They? (cont.)

• 20-40 of youth in homeless situations identify
  as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender
  (compared to 3-5 of adult population)
• Homeless youth are six times more likely to be in
  foster care
• 25-40 of youth who emancipate from foster care
  will end up homeless

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McKinney-VentoHomeless Assistance Act

• Reauthorized 2002 by NCLB (Title X, Part C)
• Main themes
• School stability
• School access
• Support for academic success
• Child-centered, best interest decision making

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EligibilityWho is Covered?

• Children who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate
  nighttime residence
• Sharing the housing of others due to loss of
  housing, economic hardship, or similar reason
• Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping
  grounds due to lack of adequate alternative
  accommodations
• Living in emergency or transitional shelters

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Eligibility Who is Covered? (cont.)

• Awaiting foster care placement
• Living in a public or private place not designed
  for humans to live
• Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings,
  substandard housing, bus or train stations, or
  similar settings
• Migratory children living in above
• circumstances

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Local HomelessEducation Liaisons

• Every LEA must designate a liaison for students
  in homeless situations
• Responsibilities
• Ensure that children and youth in homeless
  situations are identified and enrolled in school,
  and have full opportunity to succeed in school
• Link with educational services, including
  preschool and health services
• Inform parents, guardians and youth of education,
  transportation and parent involvement
  opportunities
• Post public notice of educational rights
• Resolve disputes

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McKinney-Vento ActKey Provisions

• Immediate enrollment without documents attending
  classes and participating fully in school
• School stability staying in the school of origin
  for the duration of homelessness and to end of
  year when permanently housed
• Transportation to the school of origin
• Eliminating barriers to enrollment and retention

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McKinney-Vento ActKey Provisions

• Unaccompanied youth immediate enrollment without
  legal guardian liaison support
• Preschoolers connect with Head Start and other
  pre-K programs
• No discrimination access to needed services and
  integration
• Title I automatic eligibility and reservation of
  funds
• Dispute resolution immediate enrollment written
  notice referral to liaison

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Safety Issues

• Survivors of domestic violence 20 of violent
  crime against women is committed by an intimate
  partner
• Unaccompanied youth many parents are abusive,
  neglectful, or unable/unwilling to parent their
  children
• Possibility of child abduction
• You can play a pivotal role in keeping children
  and youth safe!

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Safety Strategies--Enrollment

• Enroll children and youth experiencing
  homelessness immediately, as required by the
  McKinney-Vento Act. School is the safest place
  for children who are in danger!
• Talk with parents, students and the previous
  school about potential dangers, and develop a
  safety plan together.
• Talk to runaway youth about their home situation
  with care and sensitivity. Understand that youth
  may hesitate to admit that home is an unhealthy
  or dangerous environment for them.

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Safety Strategies--Support

• Refer unaccompanied youth and domestic violence
  survivors to counseling resources, including
  school counselors and social workers.
• Provide a safe place and trained mentor at
  school for unaccompanied youth to access as
  needed.

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Safety Strategies--Privacy

• Never share any information about a student with
  anyone who cannot prove they have the legal right
  to receive it.
• Make everyone requesting any information about a
  student complete and sign an information request
  form, and maintain a record of all requests.
• Always check the database and paper records to
  see if there is a protective order or other
  restriction to access to school records and
  information.

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Safety Strategies--Get Help

• Transfer school records through the State
  Coordinators Office if necessary to restrict
  information about where a student has enrolled in
  school.
• If you suspect a child has been abducted or
  reported missing, contact the National Center for
  Missing and Exploited Children (www.missingkids.co
  m 1-800-THE-LOST).

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Group Activity

• Mrs. Williams arrives at school to enroll her
  daughter, Sandra. Mrs. Williams seems nervous
  and refuses to answer some of the enrollment
  questions. She says she does not have a
  permanent address right now. She also asks if
  the school has a security guard. Sandra just
  sits quietly with her mother.

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Group Activity

• Would you enroll Sandra? How would you handle
  the practicalities, like entering her in the
  database and requesting records?
• What questions might you ask Mrs. Williams to
  learn about her situation and Sandras needs?
• To whom might you refer Sandra?
• To whom might you refer Mrs. Williams?

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Local Resources

• Liaison Name and Contact Info
• State Coordinator Name and Contact Info
• Other local resources (helpful websites,
  preschools, youth programs, shelters, housing,
  medical clinics, nonprofits, etc.)

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National Resources

• National Association for the Education of
  Homeless Children and Youth
• http//www.naehcy.org
• National Center on Homeless Education
• http//www.serve.org/nche
• National Law Center on Homelessness Poverty
• http//www.nlchp.org
• National Network for Youth
• http//www.nn4youth.org

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If you take onlyone thing with you

• Enroll children and youth experiencing
  homelessness immediately!
• If you turn away a child or youth, you may be
  sending them into a dangerous situation and
  breaking the law.