McKinney-Vento Assistance Act

McKinney-Vento Assitance Act

Your students may qualify for certain protections and rights under the federal McKinney-Vento Assistance Act. The McKinney-Vento Act defines "homeless youth and children" as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. 

Eligible Families may live in any of the following situations:

• Children living in substandard conditions which include housing that lacks utilities. Housing that is infested with vermin and mold and does not have a working kitchen or a working toilet.
• Children sharing housing with other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason (doubled up)
• Children living in motels, hotels, trailer parks or camping grounds due to lack of alternate adequate accommodations
• Children living in crisis shelters, emergency shelters or transitional shelters
• Children abandoned in hospitals.
• Children and youth who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings
• Children and youth who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, at bus stations or train stations or similar settings
• Unaccompanied youth (students not living in the physical custody of parent/guardian. Commonly referred to as runaways, lockouts throwaways,etc) who are living in any circumstance listed above.
• Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are living in circumstances listed above.

Eligible children and youth have the right to:

• Free and appropriate education
• Enroll in school immediately, even if lacking documents normally required.
• Enroll in school and attend classes while the school gathers needed documents
• Enroll in the local school; or continue attending their school of origin (the school attended when permanently housed or the school in which they were last enrolled), if that is your preference and is feasible
• If the school district believes that the school you select is not in the best interest of your child(ren), then the district must provide you with a written explanation of its position and inform you of your right to appeal this decision
• Receive transportation to and from school, if the students meet the state eligibility guidelines
• Receive educational services "non-homeless students" are eligible to receive
• A priority to certain pre-school programs

If you have more questions or feel your family may qualify, please contact the Enrollment Center at 815-232-0580 or your student's school.