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Supporting Homeless Students in Pennsylvania: Your Role in the ECYEH Program

Gain insights into the McKinney-Vento Act, EYCEH network, communication importance, and strategies for homeless student needs. Learn about homelessness definition, eligibility, and key provisions for students and parents in this educational program.

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Supporting Homeless Students in Pennsylvania: Your Role in the ECYEH Program

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  1. Pennsylvania’s Education for Children &Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program (ECYEH)Understanding Your Role in Serving Students Experiencing Homelessness

  2. Presentation Goals: • Provide overview of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. • Provide description of the ECYEH network & local/regional/state/national resources. • Stress importance of communication, collaboration and partnerships. • Highlight specific strategies for addressing the unique needs of students experiencing homelessness.

  3. McKinney-Vento Federal Act:A law to protect children experiencing homelessness through educational stability.

  4. Carrie Arnold, LeTendre Scholar, formerly homeless student, 2002 . . .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.”

  5. Homeless. . . What does it look like?

  6. The True Face of Homelessness • 40% of all homeless in the United States, and the fastest growing population, are women, children, and families http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u5HtJW6KUE

  7. 65% of the families are women with children. • 20%-40% experienced sexual abuse. • 40%-60% experienced physical abuse.

  8. Legal Definition:“fixed, regular, adequate” nighttime residence

  9. 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

  10. 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 Awaiting Foster Care placement

  11. Definition: “Awaiting Foster Care” Children and youth “awaiting foster care” placement include those who are placed in shelters, emergency foster care, transitional foster care of respite care.

  12. How Schools Determine Homelessness: Was there an event? - Flood - Fire - Mold - Domestic Violence - Thrown Out - Eviction - Runaway

  13. Rural: Living in cars, parks, campgrounds, barns, tents, hunting cabins… Run down homes - often without running water or heat, without windows, roof covered with tarps… Doubled-up with other families… Stable population (do not move as frequently)… More families… Homeless is a “hidden” issue – people are under a roof, so not “homeless”… Less likely to accept or seek services… Fewer services/resources available… Rural Vs. Urban:

  14. Urban: More people living in shelters and transitional housing… Transient population (families moving between locations)… More single adults… Homelessness is more “visible” – see people on the streets… Open to & actively seeking services… More resources/services available…

  15. Patterns of Homelessness: Temporary… Families/individuals who are displaced from their usual dwellings by fire, eviction, divorce, etc. (some kind of causal event)

  16. Episodic: Families/individuals who frequently experience recurring periods of being housed and then homeless again.

  17. Chronic: Families/individuals without a home for more than a year. This group is more likely to suffer from mental illness and substance abuse than other persons experiencing homelessness. (Bassuk et al. 1986; Fischer and Breakey, 1988).

  18. Students Experiencing Homelessness: In PA in 2014-2015… 27,641 children or youth were reported as experiencing homelessness and were ‘served,’ of which 26,273 were also identified as ‘enrolled.’

  19. Most students in doubled-up situations do better academically than those in shelters or transitional housing situations

  20. Students’ and Parents’ Rights… • Eligibility • Immediate Enrollment • School of origin • Transportation • Free meals • Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) • Dispute

  21. 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 of origin the following academic year.

  22. Key Provisions- Transportation: Schools will provide students experiencing homelessness with transportation to and from their school of origin, at a parent’s or guardian's request. (or at the liaison’s request for unaccompanied youth) Must be deemed reasonable, feasible and in the child’s “best interest”…

  23. The transportation mandate is for students experiencing homelessness 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.

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

  25. Enrollment - continued… Children are enrolled immediately, even without school records, medical records, proof of residency or other documents. .

  26. Unaccompanied Youth Experiencing Homelessness Schools cannot require that a family who “takes in” a student to obtain guardianship. Guardianship can only come from a judge… Students can sign paperwork themselves… The adult they’re living with can complete a “Caregiver’s Authorization Form” and sign the paperwork… Or the district’s liaison can sign in lieu of the previous options…

  27. Definition: • Children under the age of 18 living with someone other than parent/legal guardian • Children over the age of 18 who have been “kicked out” of their home, or left due to safety reasons

  28. Barriers to Education: Enrollment requirements (school records, health records, proof of residence and guardianship). High mobility resulting in lack of school stability and educational continuity.

  29. Lack of transportation… Lack of school supplies, clothing, etc…

  30. LEA Responsibilities: • Immediate enrollment • Transportation • Free meals • Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

  31. Case-by-case determination – all situations are different! Get as much information as possible… without intimidating the parent or youth. Determining Eligibility:

  32. Determining Eligibility: Look at the McKinney-Vento definition* … specific examples first … then review the overall definition (ask for help if unclear!) … before you make your determination * NCHE’s Determining Eligibility brief is available at http://www.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/det_elig.pdf

  33. The ECYEH Program Can Help... Assist with school enrollment and placement. Provide referrals for clothing, food, shelter, rent, medical services, preschool, housing, advocacy, counseling, etc…

  34. Provide technical assistance to districts. Implement tutoring and enrichment services in shelters and other settings.

  35. Distribute literature related to homelessness. Provide training/in-service related to the McKinney-Vento Federal Act.

  36. Assist students with obtaining clothing, school supplies, fees, etc.

  37. Regional Support: • How many of you were aware of your regional and/or site coordinator before today? • How many of you have attended regional or local training regarding homeless education? • How many of you have attended the annual statewide homeless education conference?

  38. Importance of Communication, Collaboration and Partnerships • Liaison and school staff (e.g. SAP personnel) • Liaison and community resources (for community services) • Liaison and regional staff (for training/resources) • Liaison and families/unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness

  39. More… • ALL school staff must be aware of McKinney-Vento responsibilities and report potential homeless situations. • ALL students experiencing homelessness must be identified and reported so that FAPE can be ensured. • ALL internal and external/community partnerships must be explored to ensure appropriate services are provided.

  40. Discussion: • In small groups (3-5 people), discuss how your school/district manages student homelessness: Is the SAP team involved in… • identifying homeless situations? • Identifying students’ needs? • Providing or referring student to services/resources?

  41. Student Supports? • How do you meet the educational needs of pre-school, elementary, middle and high school students experiencing homelessness? • How do you address the integration of a student mid-year into the school/classroom – what impact does this have on the school/class itself? • Is your district/school more rural, urban or suburban (or a mixture) and how does this impact the student and necessary services?

  42. Special Student Populations in the School/District? How do you serve these unique students? • Unaccompanied Youth • Undocumented Youth (immigrants/refugees) • Migrant Students • English Language Learners

  43. ECYEH Outreach, Funding and Special Programs • ECYEH homeless awareness week • Facebook • Regional offices and websites (wiki page, moodle training) • Community service opportunities (for students and/or by students!) • Community support to fund special needs (items not covered by M-V or Title I)

  44. State and National Resources… Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program (ECYEH) - http://homeless.center-school.org Pennsylvania Department of Education – www.education.state.pa.us/homeless 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

  45. Questions? • Any additional questions?

  46. For Assistance Contact: Sonia Pitzi, Region 3 ECYEH Coordinator Lincoln Intermediate Unit York, PA 717.718-5924 slpitzi@iu12.org Danny Jones, Site Coordinator Erie School District Erie, Pa 814-874-6123 djjones@eriesd.org Andrea Sheesley, Region 6 ECYEH Coordinator ARIN Intermediate Unit Indiana, PA asheesley@iu28.org 724.463.5300 X 1235 Or the ECYEH regional/site coordinator for your area (see regional map).

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