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Overview of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

Overview of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Overview of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. State of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education PO Box 480 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0480 (573) 522-8763 donna.cash@dese.mo.gov Donna Cash

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Overview of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

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  1. Overview of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

  2. Overview of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act State of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education PO Box 480 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0480 (573) 522-8763 donna.cash@dese.mo.gov Donna Cash State Homeless Coordinator

  3. OBJECTIVES FOR TODAY’S WEBINAR… Understanding poverty, it’s causes, and exploring how poverty affects children Becoming familiar with the basic concepts of the of McKinney-Vento Act Definition of homelessness What the responsibilities are for LEAs Overview of the 2009 Subgrant Process

  4. For questions during the webinar… If you have questions during the webinar, please submit them in the chat pod, located at the left of the screen.

  5. McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act • Main themes include: • School stability • School access • Support for academic success • Child-centered, best interest decision making

  6. POVERTY… • Affects 1.35 million children* • 10% of all children live in poverty • 733,000-1.3 million youths • Over 40% of all children who are homeless are under the age of 5 Source: National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth

  7. Source: Seccombe 2001, p. 323 Children in poverty… “Overall…receive lower grades, receive lower scores on standardized tests, are less likely to finish high school, and are less likely to attend or graduate from college…”

  8. “Through it all, school is probably 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 for the next six hours and concentrate on what is most important to me.” Formerly Homeless Student

  9. Causes of homelessness… • Lack of affordable housing • Deep poverty (intergenerational poverty) • Health problems • Domestic violence • Natural and other disasters • Abuse/neglect (unaccompanied youth)

  10. Homelessness results from a complex set of circumstances. Requiring people to choose between food, shelter, and other basic needs. Homelessness can be frightening You can make a student’s life a little less scary.

  11. Problems for homeless children… • Enrollment requirements –may not have: • School or immunization records • Proof of residence or guardianship • Other records needed for enrollment • They have high mobility • Results in a lack of school stability and educational continuity • Lack of transportation, school supplies, clothing, etc. • Poor health, fatigue, hunger • Prejudice and misunderstanding

  12. Definitions… For the purposes of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act, homelessness is described as… “Children who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” http://www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/fedprog/discretionarygrants/homeless/homelessdefinition.html

  13. Examples of homelessness… • sharing the housing of others • living in motels, hotels, camping grounds • living in an emergency or transitional shelter • awaiting foster care placement, • living in places not designed for humans to live • living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, bus or train stations • migratory children also qualify as homeless when living under these same conditions.

  14. Questions you may need to ask… • Does the student have any legal rights to be in that home? In other words, can he/she be asked to leave at any time with no legal recourse? • Is the living situation intended to be temporary or long-term? • Did the student move into the home as an urgent • measure to avoid being on the street or in another precarious situation?

  15. Are the Moore children homeless? In March, the Moore family lost its housing due to a fire. Mr. Moore’s brother is letting the family live in a trailer on his property until the house is repaired. Would you qualify the Moore children for services under McKinney-Vento? Why or why not? What questions do you need to ask to help you make your determination? If the repairs on the house will not be completed until the following December, will the children be eligible for services the whole time?

  16. What do you think? Are the Moore children homeless or not?

  17. Every LEA must… • Designate an appropriate staff person as a local homeless education liaison • The homeless liaison must work to ensure that homeless children and youth have equal access to the same free public education as is provided to other children and youth.

  18. DUTIES OF THE LOCAL LIAISON… • Must collaborate and coordinate with— • The State Coordinators for Homeless Education • Community personnel • Other school personnel

  19. DUTIES OF THE LOCAL LIAISON continued… • Ensure that children and youth in homeless situations are identified. • Ensure that homeless students enroll in and have full and equal opportunity to succeed in school. • Link students with educational services, • Including preschool and health services.

  20. DUTIES OF THE LOCAL LIAISON continued… • Inform parents, guardians, or youth of education and • parent involvement opportunities. • Inform parents, guardians, or youth of transportation • services, including the school of origin. • Resolve disputes • Post public notice of educational • rights

  21. DUTIES OF THE LOCAL LIAISONcontinued… • Provide awareness activities for school staff. • Provide outreach materials and posters where there is a frequent influx of low-income families and youth in high-risk situations • Educate school staff about “warning signs” that may indicate an enrolled child or youth may be experiencing homelessness.

  22. DUTIES OF THE LOCAL LIAISONcontinued… • Make special efforts to identify preschool children, including asking about the siblings of school-age children • Develop relationships with truancy officials and/or other attendance officers • Use enrollment and withdrawal forms to inquire about living situations

  23. Do’s and Don’ts for Local Liaison • Do ensure there is immediate enrollment • Don’t create barriers to enrollment including those posed by a: • Lack of school records • Proof of guardianship • Birth certificates • Immunization or other health records • Proof of residence

  24. ENROLLMENT… Homeless verification can be handled in such a way that it does not violate privacy or jeopardize housing arrangements. It is up to the local liaison, enrollment staff, and/or other school personnel to be sensitive and discreet.

  25. ENROLLMENT continued… • Remember all such efforts must • be grounded in sensitivity and respect. • Invasive probing may destabilize the family or youth further and may create a barrier to the student’s enrollment, thereby violating the McKinney-Vento Act. • Additionally, employing these techniques may violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

  26. ENROLLMENT continued… • Do put good policies and procedures in place • Keep it positive and supportive instead of invasive and threatening • Talk with parents and students • Do sign the student up for free lunch. • Get contact information for a family • member or guardian.

  27. ENROLLMENT continued… • DON’T— • Threaten or harass parents or students, this violates their privacy and could jeopardize their housing • Pose barriers to • enrollment

  28. School of origin or school of residence SCHOOL Selection… • The school of origin is the school that the child or youth attended when permanently housed or the school in which the child or youth was last enrolled. • The school of residence is the current physical dwelling where the homeless child or youth is sleeping.

  29. SCHOOL Selection continued… • Students can continue attending 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 is sent to a school other • than the school of origin or the • school requested by the parent or • guardian the LEA must provide the parent or • guardian with a written explanation of its decision and the right to appeal.

  30. TRANSPORTATION… • Homeless students must be provided with transportation to and from their school of origin. • For unaccompanied youth, transportation to and from the school of origin must be provided at the local liaison’s request. • If the student’s temporary • residence and the school of • origin are in the same LEA • that LEA must provide • transportation.

  31. TRANSPORTATION continued… • However, if the student is living outside the school of origin then the school of residence homeless liaison and the homeless liaison from the school of origin must arrange and determine transportation . • Transportation must also be • provided for homeless students • when comparable services are • provided to other students.

  32. Transportation continued… • What is the school of best interest? • How old is the student? Is a three • hour bus ride too long? • Is the student old enough and • Responsible enough to take public • transportation?

  33. TRANSPORTATION continued… Transportation Reimbursement • Both districts (origin/residency) must equally split the excess cost of transporting a homeless student. • It is the resident district's responsibility to fill out and submit the homeless transportation reimbursement form to DESE for both districts involved. • Districts receiving McKinney-Vento subgrant monies are not eligible to receive transportation reimbursement. http://www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/fedprog/discretionarygrants/homeless/documents/transportationreimbursementformdec2008.pdf

  34. DISPUTE RESOLUTION… • Every school district in Missouri must establish dispute resolution procedures. • When a dispute over enrollment arises, the student must be admitted immediately to the school of choice while the dispute is being resolved. • Liaisons must ensure unaccompanied youth are enrolled • immediately while the dispute is being resolved.

  35. Resolution procedures continued… • If a dispute arises, refer the child, youth, parent, or guardian to the liaison to carry out the dispute resolution process as expeditiously as possible. • It is imperative that the local liaison act on disputes in a timely manner. • Documentation should be kept for all local liaison interventions with parents—not just formal disputes (NCLB). http://www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/fedprog/discretionarygrants/homeless/Complaint%20Procedure.pdf

  36. SEGREGATION… • School District cannot segregate homeless students • They cannot have separate programs within the school • Or have separate • settings within the • school

  37. Title I.A and McKinney-Vento… • A child or youth who is homeless and is attending any school in the district is automatically eligible for Title IA services. • LEAs must reserve (or set aside) funds. • Title I A. funds may not be used to transport homeless children • and youth.

  38. Use of Title I.A funds… • Before-school, after-school, and/or summer programs • Outreach services • Basic needs • Counseling services • Supplemental instruction • Local liaison • Parental involvement programs • Research-based programs • Data collection

  39. Title I and Homeless Set Aside… Method #1— Reserve the set aside amount on what you would be eligible for if you were applying for a McKinney-Vento subgrant. Method #2— Reserve the set aside amount based on a percentage. Method #3— Reserve the set aside amount based on your homeless student count and Title I, Part A per-pupil allocation. Method #4— Reserve the set aside amount based on homeless student’s needs.

  40. Homeless Census… • The information collected includes: • Name of homeless student • Grade level • Primary night time residence • Night time Residence Definition • Not Homeless (NH) • Shelters (SH) • Unsheltered (US) • Doubled Up (DU) • Hotel/Motel (HM)

  41. School lunches… • Homeless children and youth automatically qualify for the Free and Reduced lunch program. • They do not have to have a parent/guardian signature.

  42. Early childhood (Head Start)… Head Start reauthorization includes a definition of homelessness that matches the definition of homelessness in the education subtitle of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which governs public schools

  43. Head Start and HOMELESS continued… • Homeless children are categorically eligible for Head Start [42 U.S.C. 9840(a)(1)(B)]. • Implies that verification of homeless living situation suffices . • Under McKinney-Vento, • determinations of eligibility • are case-by-case, • Individualized.

  44. LOCAL SUBGRANTS… • The 2009-2010 McKinney-Vento Subgrant application • is now available on our website. • District with 20 or more homeless students are eligible to apply. • Grant applications are due by May 15, 2009. • A grant workshop is scheduled for April 9 from • 9:30 -12:00 in the 1st floor conference room of the Jefferson Building in Jefferson City. http://www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/fedprog/discretionarygrants/homeless/

  45. TO DO LIST… Conduct ongoing awareness activities in the school district Provide annual awareness and sensitivity training to all school staff, including administrators, counselors, social workers, teachers, secretaries, registrars, nurses, bus drivers, security staff, attendance officers, and federal programs staff.

  46. Review, Revise, and Develop • Enrollment Identification • Needs Assessment • Placement • Services • Records Transfer • Homeless Coordinator • Resolution of Grievances

  47. Questions?

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