McKinney-Vento

Overview:

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is the primary piece of legislation related to the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness. Specific provisions ensure the enrollment, accessibility, and educational stability for students lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.

McKinney-Vento Homeless Flyer (English)    McKinney-Vento Homeless Flyer (Spanish)

• Those who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship,
• 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;
• Those who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings
• Those who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
• Those identified by the Migrant Education Program (as defined in section 1309 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) who qualify as homeless because the children are living in circumstances described in the bullet points above

Unaccompanied Homeless Youth:

In addition to defining homelessness, the McKinney-Vento Act defines unaccompanied youth as youth who fit the definition of homeless and are "not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian" [42 U.S.C. § 11434a (6)].

• Who is considered an Unaccompanied Youth?
  • A student whose living situation qualifies under the McKinney-Vento Act and is not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian. Students can be in the legal custody of their parents and still qualify if their living situation fits the qualification criteria under McKinney-Vento.