Education for Homeless Students

The McKinney Vento Homeless Education Assistance Program protects the right for homeless children and youth to receive a free and appropriate public education.

Homelessness includes children and youth who are living with a friend, relative or someone else because they lost their home or can’t afford housing, children, and youth who are staying in a motel or hotel due to lack of adequate alternative accommodations, children and youth who are living in an emergency or transitional shelter or a domestic violence shelter. It also includes children and youth who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations or many other similar settings.

Under the law, no student shall be stigmatized by school personnel due to homelessness.

Resources

Help! I’m Homeless

McKinney-Vento Law and ESSA http://www.theotx.org/events/event/mckinney-vento-school-selection-rights-changes-essa/

Texas Homeless Education Office (THEO) www.utdanacenter.org/theo/