The McKinney-Vento Act provides rights and services to children and youth experiencing homelessness. Homelessness includes those who are: sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, living in motels, hotels, shelters, cars, parks, public places, or other similar reasons.
School Stability
Children and youths may attend their school of origin for the entire duration of the homelessness or until the end of any school year in which the student becomes permanently housed.
Local educational agencies (LEAs) must determine that keeping the student in the school of origin is in the their best interest, unless doing so contradicts the desires of the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth.
Transportation to the school of origin is required. Homeless Liaisons ensure that parents or guardians of a homeless child or youth is fully informed of all transportation services including assistance in accessing transportation to the selected school.
Homeless students must be enrolled immediately, even if they have missed application or enrollment deadlines while experiencing homelessness.
Students experiencing homelessness often do not have the documents or records required for enrollment. The McKinney Vento Act requires schools to enroll homeless students even if they do not have paperwork normally required.
Homeless liaisons and other staff can assist families with obtaining the required school, immunization, or health records needed by the school.
Homeless liaisons must ensure that homeless children and youth do not face barriers to accessing academic and extracurricular activities.
Our Responsibilities
Local educational agencies (LEAs) or school districts are instrumental in ensuring that the rights and services guaranteed in the McKinney-Vento Act are implemented throughout the school district.
LEAs must:
Ensure homeless children or youth are identified and enrolled in school with full and equal opportunities to succeed in school.
Ensure homeless families, children, and youths receive referrals to health care, dental services, mental health, substance abuse, housing and other appropriate services.
Ensure public notice about the rights of homeless children and youths is published where families are likely to receive services.
Homeless Liaison
Every school district has a homeless liaison to serve as the district’s main point of contact for students experiencing homelessness. The liaison has a duty to identify students experiencing homelessness, inform them of their rights, refer them to additional services, and ensure they have a full and equal opportunity to succeed in school. The liaison also has special duties to support unaccompanied homeless youths.
District 126's homeless liaison is Mrs. Melissa Miscichowski, she can be contacted at (847) 731-9356 or by email at melissa.miscichowski@zb126.org
