Homeless Children and Youth

• Children and youth experiencing homelessness have a right to attend school.
• You do not need a permanent address to enroll your child in school.
• Children and youth experiencing homelessness can stay in their school of origin or enroll in any public school that students living in the same attendance zone are eligible to attend, whichever circumstance proves to be in the student’s best interest.
• The liaison must provide you with a written explanation if a placement or eligibility dispute occurs. Contact your local homeless liaison for assistance in handling a dispute.
• Your child cannot be denied school enrollment because school records or other enrollment documentation are not immediately available.
• Your child may have the right to transportation services to and from the school of origin if determined that it is in their best interest* (see transportation procedures).
• Your child has the right to participate in extracurricular activities and all federal, state or local programs for which he or she is eligible.
• Unaccompanied youth have these same rights. Contact your local homeless liaison.
• McKinney-Vento status provides stability at the school for at least the duration of the school year. If housing instability continues beyond that school year, you must apply for requalification the following school year.
• Should a dispute arise over eligibility, school selection, or enrollment determinations, written notification containing instructions on how to appeal the determination will be sent by the McKinney-Vento Liaison to the parent/guardian. Upon receipt, the parent/guardian will have five business days to file an appeal to the McKinney-Vento State Coordinator who will then follow the state appeal process.

Legal reference: The McKinney-Vento Assistance Act (42 U.S. C. 11431 et seq.) at Subtitle B of title VII. (Reauthorized 2002).

Unaccompanied youth are youth who are not in the physical custody of a parent or court-appointed guardian, including:

• Young people who have run away from home.
• Young people who have been forced to leave their homes.
• Young people whose parents have left the area and left the student here.

Their possible living situations include:

• Living with friends ("couch surfing").
• Living in shelters.
• Living in cars, campgrounds, in abandoned buildings, other public spaces or on the streets.
• Living with an adult who is not their parent and does not have legal custody of them.

School may be the only safe, stable environment for unaccompanied youth. Schools can provide the needed support to ensure continued academic success for these vulnerable students. In addition to academics, schools can offer adult and peer support, meals, referral to medical and mental health services, sports clubs and other activities. Schools should also connect these young people to other resources and supports available in the community.

The federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act requires that schools immediately enroll these students and protects their right to attend school without parental involvement. Schools must immediately enroll “unaccompanied youth” even if they do not have the documents that are usually required, such as proof of residence, school records, medical records or guardianship papers. Transportation assistance must be provided (when in the best interest of the student) if the student needs transportation to the school of origin.

Homeless students are entitled to free standard breakfast and lunch meals at school and do not need to fill out the Free and Reduced-Price Meals application. Once a parent or guardian (or unaccompanied youth) fills out the McKinney-Vento Eligibility Screening Form, the school submits it to the homeless education liaison for review and approval. Approved requests will be submitted by the liaison directly to the HCPS School Nutrition Services Department. Please do not contact the School Nutrition Services Department directly; this request must be submitted through the McKinney-Vento program.

Henrico County Public Schools will provide transportation assistance (when in the student’s best interest*) for students approved as McKinney-Vento-eligible so that the student may remain at his or her school of origin. This transportation is arranged through the McKinney-Vento liaison’s office. It may take three to five working days for transportation arrangements to be processed. Once transportation is arranged, the parent or guardian is called and advised of the start date and time of the transportation, the pick-up and drop-off address, and the assigned bus number.

Families who have cars may be provided with gas cards each week to assist with travel expenses. To receive gas cards, families must provide receipts showing that the gas cards were used to purchase gas, and their children must maintain regular and prompt attendance at school.

Bus tokens may be offered for families or students who live near public transportation routes.

To obtain transportation assistance, please provide information on the McKinney-Vento Screening Form. indicating the services needed.

If your address or circumstances changes after you or your child are already approved for McKinney-Vento transportation, please notify the school your child is attending and provide the following information:

• Name or student or students, and ID numbers.
• Name and address of the school the student attends or will attend.
• Address where the student is to be picked up and dropped off.
• Name and contact phone number for the parent or guardian.

*The student’s best interest is determined by the geographic distance from the school, the age of the student and the amount of time the student would spend being transported on the bus each day from the out-of-zone address.

• McKinney-Vento Resource Guide
• Project HOPE Virginia