Education for Homeless Children and Youth

Each year, more than 1.35 million children nationwide experience homelessness. Title VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is intended to ensure that homelessness does not cause these children to be left behind in school.

The West Virginia Department of Education is committed to ensuring that all West Virginia children and youth experiencing homelessness have the opportunity to enroll, attend and succeed in school.

McKinney-Vento is the primary piece of federal legislation dealing with the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness in U.S. public schools. It was reauthorized as Title X, Part C, of the No Child Left Behind Act in January 2002. As a part of the McKinney-Vento Act formula, grants are made to the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico based on each state's share of Title I funds. The West Virginia Department of Education currently is funding 18 grants.  The grants are funded on a three year cycle.    Among other things, the program supports an Office for Coordination of Education of Homeless Children and Youths in each state, which gathers comprehensive information about homeless children and youths and the impediments to their regular attendance at school. These grants also help state educational agencies ensure that homeless children, including preschoolers and youths, have equal access to free and appropriate public education. States must review and revise laws and practices that impede such equal access. States are required to have an approved plan for addressing problems associated with the enrollment, attendance and success of homeless children in school. States also must make competitive subgrants to local educational agencies to facilitate the enrollment, attendance and success in school of homeless children and youths. This includes addressing problems due to transportation needs, immunization and residency requirements, lack of birth certificates and school records, and guardianship issues.

 

Attendance Directors/Homeless Liaisons

Definition of Homelessness

Grant application for 2009-2012

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

Resources

  1. National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
  2. Reauthorization at a Glance
  3. Introduction to the Issue Briefs
  4. McKinney-Vento Issue Briefs
  5. National Center for Homeless Education
  6. National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty
  7. National Coalition for the Homeless
  8. Education for Homeless Children and Youths Grants for State and Local Activities (USDE website)
  9. West Virginia Office of Maternal, Child, and Family Health
Training Title
File Type
Videos: Awareness Videos on Homelessness and Homeless Education
URL Link
NCHE Publications and Products
URL Link
Identifying, Engaging, and Serving Unaccompanied Children and Youth: In School
PowerPoint
Identifying, Engaging, and Serving Unaccompanied Children and Youth: Out of School
PowerPoint
Identifying, Engaging, and Serving Unaccompanied Children and Youth: With Special Needs
PowerPoint
Immediate Enrollment Under McKinney-Vento: Keeping Students Safe
PowerPoint
McKinney-Vento and Preschool-Aged Homeless Children
PowerPoint
Overview of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
PowerPoint
Rights and Services for Migrant Children and Youth Under the McKinney-Vento Act
PowerPoint
Standards and Indicators for Quality McKinney-Vento Programs
PowerPoint

 

http://www.wvendhomelessness.org/

http://www.endhomelessness.org/