Homeless Children & Foster Youth Services

Who Qualifies as Homeless?

Under the McKinney-Vento Act, students are considered homeless if they lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including:

• Sharing housing with others due to loss of housing or economic hardship
• Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative accommodations
• Living in emergency or transitional shelters
• Abandoned in hospitals
• Having a primary nighttime residence not designed for regular sleeping accommodations
• Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations
• Migratory children living in the above circumstances

Rights of Homeless Students

Homeless students have the right to:

• Immediate enrollment even without typically required documents
• Remain in their school of origin or enroll in the school in the attendance area where they are temporarily living
• Transportation to and from the school of origin
• Free school meals
• Equal access to education and school programs
• Support from the district homeless liaison

Foster youth face unique challenges in maintaining educational stability while experiencing changes in home placement. Our Foster Youth Services program works to ensure these students receive the support they need to succeed academically.

Rights of Foster Youth

Foster youth have the right to:

• Immediate enrollment and educational stability
• Remain in their school of origin when in their best interest
• Immediate transfer of records when changing schools
• Equal access to academic resources, services, and extracurricular activities
• Priority enrollment in before and after-school programs
• Access to partial credits when transferring between schools