1. McKinney-Vento 101 Lorain County ESC
Susannah Wayland ∙ September 2018

2. What is empathy?

3. Map Your Childhood
Use the markers and paper to draw a map of where you grew up.
The map can be wide or narrow and include anything you remember.
Work quickly! I will bring us together 5 minutes into the workshop.

4. Think
Pair
Share
Think about the students we serve. What do you think their maps look like?
Discuss the following:
Differences
Commonalities
Emotions

5. Purpose
To ensure that personnel and systems are in place that improve services and outcomes for homeless children and youth.

6. Goals Participants will… Gain knowledge to better fulfill their role.
Identify systems that can be initiated or improved.
Gain a greater sensitivity for the populations they serve.

7. How does ESSA define homelessness?
Shared Housing
Bus & Train Stations
Public Places
Shelters
Camping Grounds
Children or youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including:
Script
Let’s look now at the definition of homeless used by U.S. public schools, as established by federal law. The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children and youth as those who lack a fixed regular and adequate nighttime residence. The “fixed, regular, and adequate” standard is often viewed as the guiding phrase of the definition of homelessness. The definition continues with “and includes” and describes living arrangements that would be considered homeless because they are not fixed, regular, and adequate, including
Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason;
Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations;
Living in emergency or transitional shelters, or who are abandoned in hospitals;
Living in a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
Migratory children living in the above circumstances
It is important to pay close attention to the detail provided through the statutory wording itself. For instance, the definition includes people sharing the housing of other persons, but provides qualifying language, namely that the family or youth be sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason. As such, not every shared housing arrangement meets the McKinney-Vento definition of homeless. The definition includes similar language for people living motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds, namely that it be due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations. As such, schools will need to consider the circumstances surrounding each child’s or youth’s living arrangements, and make determinations of McKinney-Vento eligibility on a case-by-case basis.

8. Fixed, Regular and Adequate
Fixed: Stationary, permanent, not subject to change
Regular: Used on a predictable, routine, consistent basis; consider the relative permanence
Adequate: Lawfully and reasonably sufficient; sufficient for meeting the physical and psychological needs typically met in a home environment
Can the student go to the SAME PLACE(fixed) EVERY NIGHT(regular) to sleep in a SAFE AND SUFFICIENT SPACE(adequate)?

9. Shared Housing
Legislative wording: “sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason”

10. Eligibility Considerations
Why did the parties move in together? Due to a crisis or by mutual choice as a plan for mutual benefit?
How permanent is the living arrangement intended to be?
Where would the party in crisis live if not sharing housing?
Is the living arrangement fixed, regular and adequate?
Make determinations on a case by case basis
Understand that some cases will not be clear-cut; others will require further inquiry and a more nuanced analysis(phone a friend)

11. School Selection
Students experiencing homelessness may attend either: The school of origin: The school the child attended when permanently housed; or the school in which the child or youth was last enrolled. The local attendance area school: Any public school that students living in the same attendance area are eligible to attend.
Best interest: Keep homeless students in their schools of origin, to the extent feasible, unless this is against the parent’s or guardian’s wishes
A school selection decision must occur; ideally, the parents/guardians/youth and school agree; if not,
the dispute resolution process may be used
Students may continue attending the school of origin the entire time they are homeless, and until the end of any school year in which they move into permanent housing
Students who become homeless in between school years may continue attending the school of origin for the following school year

12. Enrollment
States and districts must develop, review and revise policies to remove barriers to the school enrollment and retention of homeless children and youth.
McKinney-Vento defines enrollment as attending classes and participating fully in school activities.
The McKinney-Vento Act (federal law) supersedes state or local law or policy when there is a conflict (U.S. Constitution, Article VI.)
Homeless children and youth have the right to enroll in school immediately, even if lacking documentation normally required for enrollment.
If a child or youth needs to obtain immunizations, or immunization or medical records, the enrolling school must refer the parent or guardian immediately to the local liaison, who must assist in obtaining necessary immunizations, or immunization or medical records; the school must continue the child’s enrollment in the meantime
Enrollment Paperwork
Participation
Federal Law
Immediacy

13. Transportation
School districts must provide transportation to and from the school of origin. Based on the best interest of the student and in consultation with the parent, the district ultimately determines the mode of transportation.

14. Transportation
TEAM approach: Transportation director, local liaison, neighboring school district and other service providers as appropriate.
Districts should use a team approach in developing transportation policies and procedures; the team should include the transportation director, local liaison, neighboring school districts, and service providers, as appropriate
Districts may consider other safe transportation options besides school busses, in keeping with state and local pupil transportation guidelines
Consult with pupil transportation directors about transportation options

15. Dispute Resolution If a disagreement occurs, the district must:
While the dispute is in process, students must be:
Provide a written explanation of its decision, including the right to appeal the decision.
Enrolled immediately in the school in which enrollment is sought.
Refer the parent/caretaker/youth to the local liaison.
While the dispute is in process, students must be:
Enrolled immediately in the school in which enrollment is sought
Provided with school of origin transportation, if requested
Provided with all services for which they are eligible.
Understand the state’s model dispute template.
Documentation should be kept for all local liaison intervention, not just formal disputes.
Provided with school of origin transportation if requested.

16. McKinney-Vento liaisons must ensure:
Educational Services
Public Notices
Enrollment Disputes
Professional Development
School Enrollment
Homeless families, children, and youth receive educational services.
Public notice of homeless students’ rights is disseminated.
Enrollment disputes are mediated
School personnel providing McKinney-Vento services receive professional development and other support.
Unaccompanied youth are enrolled in school and provided needed supports to complete their education.

17. Identification Strategies
67 percent of students say that they were uncomfortable telling people at school about their homelessness and asking for help…so how can we increase identification?

18. How can schools identify McKinney-Vento students?
Avoid the word ‘Homeless”
Ask Questions
Provide Training
Use Housing Questionnaires
Educate Your Community
Spread the Word
Where would you go if you couldn’t stay here?
What led you to move into this situation?
Ask about preschool-aged siblings.
Educate students, parents, and community partners.
Youth and parents can spread the word.

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