Homeless Student Information
The Role of Education
The role of education in the life of a homeless child is crucial. In a life that is filled with
uncertainty, school is a place of safety. Something as simple as a desk to call her own can
provide a homeless child with a sense of routine and ownership. A free, appropriate, public
education is also a right to which homeless children and youth are legally entitled. This right
put into practice has the potential to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness that may
otherwise continue. For a homeless child, the importance of a stable, quality education is immeasurable.
If you have questions regarding the education of homeless children, please call:
Dr. Lynn Zeder or Beth Maloney, South Cook ISC Region 7
McKinney-Vento: Federal homeless education legislation
The McKinney-Vento Act was enacted due to the numerous barriers homeless children faced in
obtaining a free, appropriate public education.
During the 1980s, the federal government recognized the magnitude of the problem of homelessness
within our country and, more specifically, the increasing incidences of homelessness among families
with children and unaccompanied youth. To address this issue, Congress passed the Stewart B. McKinney
Act, reauthorized most recently as the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
This act guarantees homeless children and youth the following:
- The right to immediate enrollment in school, even if lacking paperwork normally required for enrollment.
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The right to attend school in his/her school of origin (if this is requested by the parent and is feasible)
or in the school in the attendance area where the family or youth is currently residing.
- The right to receive transportation to his/her school of origin, if this is requested by the parent.
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The right to services comparable to those received by housed schoolmates, including transportation
and supplemental educational services.
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The right to attend school along with children not experiencing homelessness. Segregation based on a
student's status as homeless is strictly prohibited.
- The posting of homeless students rights in all schools and other places around the community
Who is homeless?
The term "homeless children and youth" as defined by the McKinney-Vento Act;
Means
individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; and includes:
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Children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic
hardship, or similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due
to the lack of alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are
abandoned in hospitals; or a awaiting foster care placement
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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
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Children and youths who are living in a cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings,
substandard housing, bus/train stations, or similar settings
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Migratory children who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children
are living in circumstances described above.
McKinney Vento Attendance Support
For District Liaison Use Only:
Please fill out the form below to the best of your ability. Our Truancy Officer will review
the information and reach out to you shortly.
Referral Form
Truancy Officer - Samuel Joe - sjoe@s-cook.org
More Information on Homelessness
Should school fees be waived for homeless students?
School related fees should be waived for homeless students.
Fee Waiver (PDF).
Unaccompanied Minor
Unaccompanied youth are protected under the McKinney Vento Act. An unaccompanied youth includes a youth not in the
physical custody of a parent or guardian. This would include runaways living in runaway shelters, abandoned
buildings, cars, on the streets, or in other inadequate housing; children and youth denied housing by their families;
school-age unwed mothers living in homes for unwed mothers because there is no other housing available.