McKinney-Vento/Homeless

Resources for Students and Families in Transition
Misty McBrierty Director of Curriculum and Instruction/Farmington McKinney-Vento Liaison
603-755-8224

The McKinney-Vento Act
If you lost your housing and now live in a shelter, motel, vehicle, camping ground, or temporary trailer; on the street; doubled-up with family or friends; or in another type of temporary or inadequate housing, your child might be able to receive assistance through a federal law called the McKinney-Vento Act.

Under the McKinney-Vento Act, children in transitional housing situations have the right to:
  • Go to school, no matter where they live or how long they have lived there.
  • Attend either the local school or the school of origin, if this in their best interest; the school of origin is the school the child attended when he/she was permanently housed or the school in which the child was last enrolled.
  • Receive transportation to and from the school of origin.
  • Enroll is school immediately, even if missing records and documents normally required for enrollment, such as a birth certificate, proof of residence, previous school records, or immunization/medical records.
  • Enroll, attend classes, and participate fully in all school activities while the school gathers records.
  • Have access to the same programs and services that are available to all other students, including transportation and supplemental educational services.
  • Attend school with children not experiencing homelessness; a school can not segregate a student because he or she is homeless."
National Center for Homeless Education. n.d. What You Need to Know to Help Your Child in School: A Guide for Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers [Brochure].United States of America: Department of Education.