Connecting with the McKinney-Vento Act: School Districts & the Pennsylvania Homeless Children’s Initiative

1. Connecting with the McKinney-Vento Act:School Districts & the Pennsylvania Homeless Children’s Initiative

2. McKinney-Vento Federal Act:A law to protect homeless children through educational stability. “. . .through it all, school is the only thing that has kept me going. I know that every day that I walk in those doors, I can stop thinking about my problems. . .Carrie Arnold, LeTendre Scholar, formerly homeless student, 2002

3. Did you know? • Program funds and guidance are provided by the McKinney-Vento Act, originally passed in 1987. • Each of the 500 school districts in the state has a Homeless Liaison to serve their homeless students. • The average age of a homeless individual in the United States is 9 years.

4. Homeless. . . • What do you think of?

5. Eligibility – Who is Homeless? • Children who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence – • Sharing housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason (“Doubled up”) • Living in motels, hotels, trailers, camping grounds, tents, barns, cars, abandoned buildings, etc due to lack of adequate alternative accommodations • Living in emergency or transitional shelters • Abandoned, throw-away, runaway children not living with a parent or legal guardian • Migratory children living in above circumstances • Pregnant and parenting teens living in homes for unwed mothers • Awaiting Foster Care placement

6. Definition: “Awaiting Foster Care” • Children and youth “awaiting foster care” placement include those who live in temporary shelters or are placed in emergency foster care pending adjudicatory dispositions. Once the matter of a child’s foster care placement is adjudicated and a court order is issued he or she is, in “Foster Care” and is not “Awaiting Foster Care Placement.”

7. Are there people living in shelters HERE? • There are approximately 250 Shelters in Pennsylvania servicing Homeless Families and Youth. • The shelters may be: • Domestic violence, victims are predominately women and their children (residency is 30 days) • Homeless couples, families, singles (18 and over) • Runaway and throwaway teens (residency is usually 2 weeks) • Pregnant and parenting teens • Bridge or Transitional housing for single parents are their children (residency is 18 to 24 months) • Hotel/Motel stays (usually 2 – 3 days in duration)

8. Homeless Students Not Residing in a Shelter, Facility or Institution • Children who experience homelessness are often highly mobile and may not stay in the same school district each night or each week. • These children should not be forced to change school districts every time their overnight accommodations change. • These students are entitled to attend school in any school district where a parent, guardian, adult caring for them or where an unaccompanied child: • Spends the greatest percentage of his or her time OR • Has a substantial connection such as where he or she is • Regularly receiving day shelter or other services • Conducting daily living activities • Staying overnight on a recurring basis

9. Who are the District Homeless Liaisons?BUTLER COUNTY: • Butler Area: Dr. Carolyn Cornish • Karns City: Shane Spack • Mars Area: Anna Saker • Moniteau: Linda Kline-Shaffer • Seneca Valley: Jeffery Fuller • Slippery Rock: Nicole Vitale • South Butler: Lisa Baker and Vincent Mariolti

10. LAWRENCE COUNTY: • Ellwood City: Joseph Mancini • Laurel: Susan Miller • Mohawk: Cheryl Vivelo • Neshannock: Connie Fiorante • New Castle: Stan Magusiak • Shenango Area: Christine Moon • Union Area: James Padula • Wilmington Area: Robert Kwait

11. MERCER COUNTY: • Commodore Perry: Michael Stahlman • Farrell Area: Les Smith • Greenville Area: Brian Tokar • Grove City Area: Thomas Bell • Hermitage: Bonnie O'Mahony & Diana Allen • Jamestown: Shane Murray • Lakeview: Patrick Aretz • Mercer Area: Ronald Rowe • Reynolds: Jody Zuschlag • Sharon City: Sheila Jones and Michael Tomko • Sharpsville: Christopher Smith • West Middlesex: Lori Davis

12. Forest County & Clarion County • Forest Area: Kevin Sprong • Allegheny Clarion Valley: Minnie Logue • Clarion Area: Todd Macbeth • Clarion-Limestone: David Johnston • Keystone: Tom Rinke • North Clarion: Frank Bifano • Redbank Valley: Deb Boozer • Union: Larry Bornak

13. Venango County • Cranberry Area: Nicoletta McAninch • Franklin Area: Dr. Pamela Dye • Oil City: Patrick Gavin • Titusville: Terry Kerr • Valley Grove: Martin Aylesworth

14. Crawford County & Warren County • Crawford Central: Mitchell Price • Penncrest: Jerry Malarik • Conneaut: Scott Palotas/Wendy Szallay • Warren County: Rosemarie Green • Tidioute Community Charter: Melissa Mahoney

15. Erie County • Fairview: Janet Wojtalik • Fort LeBoeuf: Michael Converse • General McLane: Richard Scaletta • Girard: Mary Kay Borkowski • Harbor Creek: Donna Rose • Iroquois: Dr. Thad Urban • Millcreek Township: Rebecca Mancini • Montessori Charter: Anthony Pirrello • North East: Jennifer Ritter • Northwestern: Terry Trimble • Perseus House Charter: Chris Fortin • Robert Benjamin Wiley Charter: Mary Hayes • School District of the City of Erie: Danny Jones • Union City Area: Alisa Willey • Wattsburg Area: Tom Rinke

16. McKean County • Bradford Area: Sarah Tingley • Kane Area: Natalie Miller-Martini • Otto-Eldred: Matthew Splain • Port Alleghany: Terry Kriner • Smethport Area: Jenn Hobbs

17. Other Region 5 Contacts: • Butler County: Robert Papa, MIUIV Social Work Liaison • Lawrence County : Susan Pfahles, MIUIV Social Work Liaison • Mercer County: Mary Jo Kelly, MIUIV Social Work Liaison • Intermediate Unit 6: Mary Miller & Karlene Kimes – Social Work Liaisons • Erie School District: Danny Jones, Site Coordinator • Intermediate Unit 5: William Nichols, Site Coordinator

18. How Schools Determine Homelessness: • Was there an event? • Flood • Fire • Mold • Domestic Violence • Thrown Out • Eviction • Runaway • Substandard Housing? • No utilities (heat, water, etc) • Tarp over roof • Boards on windows • Overcrowded • Dirt Floor • Holes to outside • Motel • Camper • Car Legal Definition: “fixed, regular, adequate”

19. Key Provisions- Schools • Students can stay in their school of origin the entire time they are homeless and until the end of any academic year in which they move into permanent housing. • If a student becomes homeless in between academic years (i.e. during the summer months), he or she may continue in the school or origin the following academic year.

20. Key Provisions- Transportation • Schools will (when deemed reasonable, feasible and in the child’s “best interests”) provide students experiencing homelessness with transportation to and from their school or origin, at a parent’s or guardian's request (or at the liaisons request for unaccompanied youth). • The transportation mandate is for homeless students only. Once a student becomes permanently housed and chooses to remain in their school of origin, it is at the district’s discretion to continue to provide or arrange transportation, as appropriate. The district is under no statutory obligation.

21. Key Provisions- Enrollment • Children and youth in homeless situations can stay in their school or origin (to extent feasible) or enroll in the public school that the student is living. • The terms “enroll” and “enrollment” include attending classes and participating fully in school activities.

22. Enrollment- continued • Children can be enrolled immediately, even without school records, medical records, proof of residency or other documents. • If a student does not have immunization or medical records, the liaison must immediately assist in obtaining them. The student will be enrolled without them.

23. Title I • Schools are now required to have a portion of Title I funds set aside for the needs of homeless students. Every student that is homeless is able to have these funds used for them. • Title I funds can be used for medical expenses, clothing/uniform purchase, tutoring, enrichment, etc.

24. Food & Nutrition • All children who are identified as Homeless by the District Liaison are immediately entitled to receive free meals!

25. Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) • Pennsylvania has developed a plan to assign a surrogate parent to each handicapped student who is either a ward of the state or whose parent or guardian is unknown or unavailable. • This includes “unaccompanied homeless youth!”

26. A Note on Unaccompanied Homeless Youth: • Schools cannot require that a family who “takes in” a student obtain guardianship. Guardianship can only come from a judge. • Students can sign paperwork themselves, the adult they live with can complete a “Caregiver’s Authorization Form” in order to sign for them, or the District Liaison can sign in lieu of these options. • Many children under the age of 18 who lives with someone who is not a parent or legal guardian falls under this definition. Children over the age of 18 who have been “kicked out” of their home, or left due to safety reasons will also meet this definition. • Unaccompanied homeless youth can apply for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to attend college without a parent/guardian signature!

27. Preschool-Aged Children and McKinney Vento Federal Law: • District Liaisons must ensure that families and children have access to Head Start, Even Start and other public preschool programs administered by the LEA.

28. Head Start Act: 101 • McKinney-Vento applies to preschool programs operated by LEAs and SEAs • Homeless Children are Categorically Eligible, even if income exceeds guidelines. • Transportation may be provided if other children in the program receive it (applies to LEA and SEA administered Head Start and other pre-K programs only)

29. Dispute Resolution • Levels: • Local Level – School District Liaison (20 days, written disposition) • McKinney-Vento Coordinator Level (20 days, written disposition) • State Coordinator • Court of Competent Jurisdiction (participation in appeal procedure is not required prior to taking legal action) • Any form of communication can be viewed as a complaint • Child or youth must immediately be admitted to the school in which he/she is seeking enrollment, pending resolution of the dispute • District Liaisons need to follow procedure as outlined, including providing the dispute resolution process (see attachments to current Basic Education Circular)

30. How Can the PA Homeless Children’s Initiative Help? • Assist with school enrollment and placement • Provide referrals for clothing, food, shelter, rent, medical services, preschool, housing, advocacy, counseling, etc • Provide technical assistance to districts • Implement tutoring and enrichment services in shelters and other settings • Distributing literature related to homeless children • Providing training and in-service related to the McKinney-Vento Federal Act • Assist students with obtaining clothing, school supplies, fees, etc

31. Resources National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth - http://www.naehcy.org National Center on Homeless Education - http://www.serve.org/nche National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty - http://www.nlchp.org Horizons for Homeless Children - http://www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org Pennsylvania’s Homeless Children’s Initiative – http://homeless.center-school.org/index.cfm Pennsylvania Department of Education – http://www.pde.state.pa.us/ Center for Schools and Communities – http://www.center-school.org/

32. For Assistance Contact: Wendy Kinnear Regional Coordinator, Region 5 Pennsylvania Homeless Children’s Initiative Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV 453 Maple Street Grove City, PA 16127 724.458.6700 X 1289 Fax: 724.458.5083 wendy_kinnear@miu4.k12.pa.us