Homelessness

A student may be considered homeless if they lack fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, according to the definition of the McKinney-Vento Act. McKinney Vento Act provides several examples of situations that meet the definition. This includes children and youths:

• sharing housing due to a loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason;
• living in hotels, motels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to a lack of alternative adequate housing;
• living in emergency or transitional shelters;
• abandoned in hospitals;
• living in a public or private place not designated for, or normally used as, regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
• living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar places; and/or
• Unaccompanied youth (living away from parent/guardian).

• Right to immediate enrollment, without normally required documents
• Right to fully participate in school programming & activities
• Provide immediate free lunch for the entire school year
• Waive all school fees
• Provide needed supplies and support
• Right to attend the school of origin or school of residence
• Per parent request, pending dispute resolution
• Right to attend for the duration of homelessness
• Right to attend for the remainder of the school year once housed
• Right to comparable transportation to the school of origin
• Right to other comparable educational services (SPED, Title 1)
• Right to attend school with no segregation
• Right to community resource information & referrals. 

Northland Pines Homeless Liaison

Students experiencing homelessness need to be qualified for McKinney Vento support through the school district McKinney Vento Liaison (this eligibility is determined each school year). The liaison is key to ensuring homeless children and youth receive the services they need and is the primary contact between homeless families, schools and staff, shelter workers, and other service providers.

The liaison is able to explain educational supports, assess options for staying at the school of origin or transferring to the new resident/neighborhood school, and assist families in linking to needed community resources for housing and basic needs. Parents and/or students can self-identify or school staff can refer students for qualification and support.