McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
The McKinney-Vento protects the right of homeless children and youth
to get to, stay in, and be successful in school while they or their families
are homeless. The law focuses on maintaining school stability and and
providing support for academic success for homeless kids. The law also
requires schools and states to use child-centered, best-interest decision
making when working with homeless children and their families to choose
a homeless child's school, services, and other needed resources. Contact
information for the McKinney-Vento Assistance Act for Los Lunas Schools
is located on the sidebar.
The McKinney-Vento Act's definition who qualifies as a homeless child or
youth is quite broad: "Children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and
adequate nighttime residence," including, but not limited to:
- Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic
hardship, or similar reason (sometimes referred to as "doubled up").
- Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping grounds due to lack of adequate alternative accommodations.
- Living in emergency or transitional shelters.
- Abandoned in hospitals.
- Awaiting foster care placement.
- Living in a public or private place not designed for humans to live.
- Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, bus or train stations, etc.
- Migratory children living in the above circumstances.
Your school-age children may qualify for certain rights and protections under
the federal McKinney-Vento Act. Your eligible child has the right to:
- Receive a free, appropriate public education.
- Enroll in school immediately, even if lacking documents normally required for enrollment.
- Enroll in the local school; or continue attending their school or
origin (the school they attended when permanently housed or the
school in which they were last enrolled), if that is your preference and
is feasible.
- School meals at no cost.
- Receive transportation to and from the origin if you request so.
- Receive education services comparable to those provided to
other students, according to your children's needs.
Some of the services provided to homeless students include:
- Backpacks with supplies
- Uniforms
- Undergarments, shoes, clothing
- Food
- Hygiene products
- Fees
- Transportation