The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act is the federal law that governs the educational rights of children and youth in homeless situations. This act was reauthorized in 2015 as Title IX Part A McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
Homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate public education.
A student is homeless if they:
- live in a shelter or transitional housing
- live in a motel, campground, car, abandoned building or on the streets
- share the housing of friends or relatives due to loss of housing (eviction and foreclosure) or cannot afford housing
- live on the streets
A student is a homeless unaccompanied youth if he/she:
- live in a shelter or transitional housing
- live in a motel, campground, car, abandoned building or on the streets
- share the housing of friends or relatives due to loss of housing (eviction and foreclosure) or cannot afford housing
- live on the streets
- and, is not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian (has runaway, been asked to leave home or is being abused)
Students who are homeless have the right to:
- immediately enroll in and attend school without having health or school records and a permanent address
- enroll in the school where you are living or the school attended when permanently housed, if in your child's best interest
- receive transportation to and from the school of origin
- participate in school activities for which they are eligible
- utilize dispute resolution process if you have a grievance
For more information, please contact Sharon Hill, Homeless Liaison at 395-1092.
