McKinney-Vento
To identify a student who qualifies for McKinney-Vento services, or for more information, please contact your child’s School Social Worker or the McKinney-Vento Coordinator at the bottom of this page.
On December 10, 2015, the President signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA), which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Under the previous version of ESEA (the No Child Left Behind Act), the education of homeless children and youth was included in Title X, Part C. Under ESSA, homeless education is included in Title IX, Part A.
Who qualifies for McKinney-Vento services?
Homeless students are children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. The term “homeless student” shall also be deemed to include the term “unaccompanied youth”, which includes a youth who is not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian. Homeless children and youth include those students who are as follows:
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sharing the house of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason;
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living in motels, hotels, transient trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations;
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living in emergency or transitional shelters;
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abandoned in hospitals or awaiting foster care placement;
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living in a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as regular sleeping accommodations for human beings;
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living in cars, parks, public spaces, or abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; or
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living in a migratory situation that qualifies as homeless because the child lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
Useful Links
When a student is identified as eligible for services, s/he has the right to:
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Go to school, no matter where you live or how long you have lived there. They must be given access to the same public education, including preschool education, provided to other children.
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Continue in the school they attended before you became homeless or the school they last attended, if that is your choice and is feasible. If a school sends your child to a school other than the one you request, the school must provide you with a written explanation and offer you the right to appeal the decision.
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Receive transportation to the school they attended before your family became homeless or the school they last attended, if you or a guardian requests such transportation.
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Attend a school and participate in school programs with children who are not homeless. Children cannot be separated from the regular school program because they are homeless.
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Enroll in school without giving a permanent address. Schools cannot require proof of residency that might prevent or delay school enrollment.
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Enroll and attend classes while the school arranges for the transfer of school and immunization records, or any other documents required for enrollment.
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Enroll and attend classes in the school of your choice even while the school and you seek to resolve a dispute over enrolling your children.
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Receive the same special programs and services, if needed, as provided to all other children served in these programs.
Parents, when you move, you should do the following:
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Contact your child’s school social worker or the Youth in Transition Coordinator for help in enrolling your child in a new school or arranging for your child to continue in his or her former school.
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Contact the school and provide any information you think will assist the teachers in helping your child adjust to new circumstances.
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Ask your child’s school social worker or Youth in Transition Coordinator, a shelter provider, or another charitable organization for assistance with clothing and supplies, if needed.
For Additional Information Concerning McKinney-Vento Rights, Services, and State-level data:
Contact Us
Allana Wagner
McKinney-Vento and
Foster Care Coordinator
(828) 350-6133
allana.wagner@acsgmail.net
Lisa Phillips
State Coordinator
NC Homeless Education Program
Federal Program Monitoring and
Support Services Division with NCDPI
(336) 315-7491
hepnc.uncg.edu