innovativesocialservices.org/what-does-a-homeless-high-schooler-look-like
As my son and I walk out of church each Sunday we see a young couple with two small children holding a sign that states, “Homeless- any help is appreciated.” What Does A Homeless High Schooler Look Like? Many people give them money and our church offers them food. This is the face of Homelessness that hits us to our soul. Our mind starts to go to scary places. “That could be me if I lose my job-I have so little in my savings. I have no family close by to turn to and my family members are in a worse financial position than me.” This is the homelessness that is most visible in the community and requiring immediate services. I want to touch on a different aspect of homelessness that many do not see. These are the kids that sleep on the floor at a friend’s house while the rest of the family lives
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elsewhere. What Does A Homeless High Schooler Look Like? The kid who moves hotel to hotel or family member to family member. Always in transition-no consistency, no control, and no sense of safety or security. How is this kid able to attend the same school and continue to progress academically? Actually, some are able to stay in the same school and feel some sense of security. McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 The McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 (Pub. L. 100-77, July 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 482, 42 U.S.C. § 11301 et seq.) is a United States federal law that provides federal money for homeless shelter programs. It was the first significant federal legislative response to homelessness, and was passed by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on July 22, 1987. The act has been reauthorized several times over the years. Click To The Right To Learn More -> McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act The McKinney-Vento Act originally had fifteen programs providing a spectrum of services to homeless people, including the Continuum of Care Programs, the Supportive Housing Program, the Shelter Plus Care Program, the Single Room Occupancy Program, as well as the Emergency Shelter Grant Program. How Does The McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act Protect Homeless Kids and Youth? McKinney-Vento Program is a federally funded program that assists homeless youth who are defined as youth who lack a regular and adequate nighttime residence which includes sharing the house of others due to economic hardship. They are living in motels, trailer parks, camping grounds, emergency shelters, cars, abandoned buildings, or on the streets. What Does A Homeless High Schooler Look Like? This program allows the school personnel to work directly with the youth to ensure that they are able to select and enroll in school immediately and access transportation and Title 1 services (free breakfast and lunch). Once the youth is a part of this program the youth may remain in the select school even when moving out of the school’s zone. This allows the student to feel some semblance of normalcy. Homeless children and education The original federal act, known simply as the McKinney Act, provided little protection for homeless children in the area of public education. As a result, the State of Illinois passed the Illinois Education for Homeless Children Act, which was drafted by Joseph Clary, an attorney and advocate for the Illinois Coalition to End Homelessness. Clary then worked with national advocates to ensure that the protections afforded to homeless children by the Illinois statute were incorporated into the McKinney Act. At that point, the McKinney Act was amended to
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become the McKinney-Vento Act. That Act uses the Illinois statute in defining homeless children as “individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” The Act then goes on to give examples of children who would fall under this definition: (a) Children sharing housing due to economic hardship or loss of housing; (b) Children living in “motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camp grounds due to lack of alternative accommodations” (c) Children living in “emergency or transitional shelters” (d) Children whose primary nighttime residence is not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation (e.g. park benches, etc.) (e) Children living in “cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations…” How Does The McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act Protect Homeless Kids and Youth? The Illinois statute, the McKinney-Vento Act, also ensures homeless children transportation to and from school free of charge, allows children to attend their school of origin (last school enrolled or the school they attended when they first became homeless) regardless of what district the family resides in. It further requires schools to register homeless children even if they lack normally required documents, such as immunization records or proof of residence. To implement the Act, states must designate a statewide homeless coordinator to review policies and create procedures, including dispute resolution procedures, to ensure that homeless children are able to attend school. Local school districts must appoint Local Education Liaisons to ensure that school staff are aware of these rights, to provide public notice to homeless families (at shelters and at school) and to facilitate access to school and transportation services. Click The Link Below To Learn More McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act Homeless Children and Youth You may be wondering if the program really impacts the kids. I can share so many stories where this program not only impacted the student, but probably saved the student’s life. Reach out to your local school and ask how you can help the MVP students. When students feel empowered and a sense of belonging, they can truly excel in many areas of their lives. Thanks for your support and reading our blog. Butterfly Transforming Lives Daily
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