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Federal Programs » Students Experiencing Homelessness

Students Experiencing Homelessness

Congress reauthorized the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act in January of 2002. This federal law includes the Education of Homeless Children and Youth Program that entitles children who are homeless to a free, appropriate public education and requires schools to remove barriers to their enrollment, attendance, and success in school. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Act protects all students who do not have a fixed, regular, and adequate residence.

Children and youth experiencing homelessness have the right to:

  • Receive a free, appropriate public education.

  • Enroll in school immediately, even if lacking documents normally required for enrollment.

  • Enroll in school and attend classes while the school gathers needed documents.

  • Enroll in the local attendance area school or continue attending their school of origin (the school they attended when permanently housed or the school in which they were last enrolled), if that is the parent's, guardian's, or unaccompanied youth's preference is feasible. If the school district believes the school selected is not in the student's best interest, then the district must provide the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth with a written explanation of its position and inform him/her of the right to appeal its decision.

  • Receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if requested by the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth.

  • Receive educational services comparable to those provided to other students, according to the student's need.

 

These rights are established under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This act is the primary piece of federal legislation dealing with the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness in U.S. public schools. It was reauthorized as Title X, Part C, of the No Child Left Behind Act in January 2002. To qualify for these rights, children and youth must be considered homeless according to the McKinney-Vento definition of homeless.