As initially authorized by federal law under the Stewart B. Mckinney Homeless Education Act, and later reauthorized under the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act as the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, there are several areas included in homeless education:
• Immediate, direct education services to homeless students, including early childhood.
• Educational and other supportive services to homeless students and their families.
• Education about homelessness and homeless students’ rights to all students, staff, and parents.
The educational definition of homelessness, under the Mckinney-Vento Act, is broader than the definition used by most other agencies.
It includes:
(i) children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; or are abandoned in hospitals;
(ii) children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
(iii) children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
(iv) migratory children who qualify as homeless because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii).
All homeless children and youth must be admitted to school immediately or remain in their current school placement.
Placement in Kent County Public Schools is done through the local school. When a homeless family, child, or youth present themselves at a school or a shelter, the school guidance counselor and pupil personnel worker shall be notified immediately to expedite the school enrollment/placement process.
Every attempt is made to place homeless students in the school and program which is deemed, by the school and parent, to be in the child's best interest.
Children and youth who are considered homeless have these exceptions to usual school system procedures:
• Immunizations — Admission is required immediately, even if proof of all required immunizations is not available. The school nurse or administration helps to subsequently obtain documentation or provision of immunizations.
• Transportation — is provided from shelters or other living sites to the school that is considered to be in the best interest of the child.
To obtain additional information or support services for homeless students, contact the Student Services Department for Kent County Public Schools, 410-778-7138.