Homeless Education

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (M-V) ensures educational rights for children and youth experiencing homelessness. The primary goal is educational stability.

Definition of Homeless
McKinney-Vento defines homeless students as those who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. This includes:

1. Children and youth who:
   • are forced to share the housing of other persons due to the loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason;
   • live in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations;
   • live in emergency or transitional shelters;
   • are abandoned in hospitals; or
   • are awaiting foster care placement;
2. Children and youth who have a primary nighttime residence that is not designed for or ordinarily used as regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
3. Children and youth who live in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; or
4. Migratory children are considered homeless when they are living in circumstances set forth in items 1, 2 and 3.

Homeless Education Rights

Identified homeless students are able to:

1. enroll without delay in school without proof of residency, immunization, school records, other documents or while documentation is being obtained;
2. choose between the local school where they are living or the school last attended before becoming homeless, when requested by the parent and determined by the district to be feasible and in the student’s best interest;
3. attend school and participate in school programs with children who are not homeless; and
4. receive all the school services available to other students including transportation services, special educational services where applicable, and meals through the school meals programs

If you suspect that a student is homeless, please complete a SSW Referral and/or contact Tracie C. Turner, Homeless Liaison @ tturner@worthschools.net or 229-776-8600.

Eligibility:
For more information regarding homeless education services and eligibility, contact Tracie C. Turner, Homeless Liaison at 229-776-8600. Identified students and or families will be assessed to determine eligibility.

Eligibility for homeless education services is for one school year only. Renewal is not automatic.  Each school year, families or students should submit a new SRQ form or request for homeless eligibility after July 1 in order to determine if a student continues to qualify for homeless services.

For more information on Homeless Education, please visit  http://www.naehcy.org/