Meeting Their Needs
Serving Homeless Students in Rural School Districts
ECASD Education of Homeless Children and Youth Program
Rural Homelessness 1/10th of nation’s homeless are in rural
settings Single caucasian mothers Families in poverty Persons with poor credit/job history Migrant workers Persons with criminal records At-risk Teenagers Undocumented persons
Typical Rural Homeless Situations Living with another family (doubling-up) Living in their car Living in a camper/tent Living in substandard housing Living where an economy is declining Living in inexpensive motels Living in a non-residence shelter (barn,
pole shed, etc.)
Benefits of Identification A typical homeless student can lose half a
year’s worth of learning when transferring schools.
Students identified as homeless qualify for the Free Meal Program for entire school year.
Quite easy to fulfill needs and makes a huge impact on students and families
Nurtures and enhances school-community relationships
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance
Act (1987) Representative Stewart B. McKinney (R-CT)
(1931-1987) Representative Bruce F. Vento (D-MN) (1940-
2000) January 2002 Reauthorization – The
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (Title X, Part C, of the No Child Left Behind Act)
Homeless Student Rights Immediate Enrollment without paperwork School Selection (school of origin or area) Transportation to school of origin Comparable educational opportunities and
services Prohibition of segregation Public posting of rights
Who is considered homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act? Anyone who lacks a ‘fixed, regular,
adequate nighttime residence.’ Doubled-up with family or friends Emergency or Transitional Shelters Motels or hotels Campgrounds Cars Public or Private places not designed for living Outside (parks), unsheltered, under structures Substandard housing Children awaiting permanent foster care
Typical Needs Referrals and connections Transportation assistance School supplies Clothing Food One advocate solely focused on their
needs while they are in this difficult situation.
Simple Identification Process Inform and Educate staff on what may be
a homeless situation and who to call Disperse referral forms to school
secretaries, social workers, nurses, etc. Make a list of all community resources
(both within your community and communities nearby)
Make connections with volunteer citizens Buy a crate, file folders, and paper District Liaison may delegate responsibility
Creative Ideas for Rural towns Connect with churches for volunteers Run a food drive through your school and
stock a small amount for needy families Collect clothing donations and store Make connections with volunteer citizens Find volunteers and donations through PTA Connect with your closest funded school
district
Economic Recovery & Reinvestment Act
$800,000 to Wisconsin DPI in next 2 years
Distributed through competitive grant or formula (WDPI Superintendent to determine which)
Opportunity to fund smaller school districts
National Homeless OrganizationsNational Association for the Education of Homeless Children
and Youth (NAEHCY)Barbara Duffield, Policy Director, [email protected]
www.naehcy.org Ph: 202-364-7392
National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE)Diana Bowman, Director, [email protected]
www.serve.org/nche Ph: 336-315-7453
National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP)Joy Moses, Education Staff Attorney, [email protected]
www.nlchp.org Ph: 202-638-2535
U.S. Department of EducationGary Rutkin, Coordinator, Education for Homeless Children and Youth
Program, [email protected]/programs/homeless/index.html Ph: 202-260-4412
Local Homeless Organizations
Wisconsin Department of Public InstructionMary Maronek, State Education of Homeless Children & Youth
Coordinator, [email protected]://dpi.wi.gov/homeless/ Ph: 608-261-6322
Eau Claire Area School District Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program
Pete Riley, Homeless Liaison, [email protected] Ph: 715-852-6901