Homeless and Foster Care Liaison

Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness 

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The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a federal law designed to ensure that children and youth experiencing homelessness have equal access to a free, appropriate public education and that barriers to enrollment, attendance, and educational success are removed.

The Lehighton Area School District is committed to identifying and supporting students experiencing homelessness and working collaboratively with students, families, school staff, and community agencies to provide educational stability and support.

What Does "Homeless" Mean?

Under the McKinney-Vento Act, a child or youth is considered homeless when they lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.

This may include children or youth who are:

• Sharing the housing of other people due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason ("doubled up");
• Living in a motel, hotel, trailer park, or campground because they lack adequate alternative housing;
• Living in an emergency, transitional, or domestic violence shelter;
• Living in a car, park, public space, abandoned building, bus or train station, or another place not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation;
• Living in housing that is considered inadequate or substandard;
• Living in similar temporary or unstable housing circumstances; or
• Migratory children or youth who are living in any of the circumstances described above.

A student does not have to be living on the street or in a shelter to qualify for McKinney-Vento protections. Temporary living arrangements may qualify.

If you are unsure whether your family's living situation qualifies, please contact the District's Homeless Liaison. Families should not hesitate to reach out simply because they are unsure.

Rights of Students Experiencing Homelessness

Students who qualify under McKinney-Vento have important educational rights and protections, including:

Immediate Enrollment

Students experiencing homelessness have the right to immediate enrollment and attendance, even if they do not have records normally required for enrollment, such as:

• Proof of residency;
• Previous school records;
• Immunization records;
• Birth certificates; or
• Other required enrollment documents.

Students should not be kept out of school while records are being obtained.

School of Origin

Students experiencing homelessness may have the right to continue attending their school of origin.

The school of origin is generally the school the student attended when permanently housed or the school in which the student was last enrolled.

The school district must presume that remaining in the school of origin is in the student's best interest unless doing so is contrary to the request of the parent/guardian or, in the case of an unaccompanied youth, the youth. Student-centered factors such as educational stability, safety, health, transportation, and the student's individual circumstances are considered when making a best-interest determination.

Transportation

When appropriate, students experiencing homelessness are entitled to transportation to and from their school of origin.

Transportation arrangements are coordinated between school districts when a student lives outside the district but continues attending the school of origin.

Equal Access to Education

Students experiencing homelessness must have access to the same educational programs and services available to other students, including, when eligible:

• School nutrition programs;
• Preschool programs;
• Career and technical education;
• English language services;
• Special education services;
• Gifted education;
• Title I services; and
• Other educational programs and services for which the student qualifies.

Dispute and Appeal Rights

If there is a disagreement about a student's eligibility, enrollment, or school placement, the student must remain enrolled in the school in which they are seeking enrollment while the dispute is being resolved.

Unaccompanied Youth

An unaccompanied youth is a student experiencing homelessness who is not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.

This may include students who:

• Have run away from home;
• Have been asked or forced to leave their home;
• Have been abandoned by a parent or guardian; or
• Are living apart from their parent or guardian for another reason.

An unaccompanied youth does not need to be living completely independently or on their own to qualify.

Rights of Unaccompanied Youth

Unaccompanied youth have the same McKinney-Vento educational rights as other students experiencing homelessness. In addition:

• They may enroll in school without the assistance of a parent or guardian;
• They may enroll without documents normally required for enrollment;
• They have the right to immediate enrollment and attendance;
• Their views are given priority when making school placement decisions;
• The District's Homeless Liaison can assist them with enrollment, school placement, transportation, and access to services; and
• They have the right to receive information about dispute resolution and appeal procedures.

If you are a student who is living without a parent or guardian and you need help enrolling in school or staying connected to your school, please reach out. You do not need to figure it out on your own.

Questions or Need Assistance?

If you or your child is experiencing a change in housing, temporary living arrangements, eviction, doubled-up housing, shelter placement, or another housing situation that may affect your child's education, please contact the District's Homeless Liaison.

You may also speak with your child's school counselor, social worker, principal, or school office and ask to be connected with the District's Homeless Liaison.

District Contact Information

Amanda Citro, Homeless Liaison
Lehighton Area School District
1000 Union Street
Lehighton, PA 18235
(610) 377-4490

Please email Amanda Citro at acitro@lehighton.org with any questions.
                                                               

Regional Contact Information

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Jeff Zimmerman
Luzerne Intermediate Unit 18
(570) 718-4613
jzimmerman@liu18.org             

 

For more information on Pennsylvania's Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program go to:   http://www.liu18.org/index.php/ecyeh