Education for Homeless Children and Youth

Education for Homeless Children and Youth Grant

The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children and youth as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate* nighttime residence.

This definition also includes

Children and youth who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason;
Children and youth who may be living in motels, hotels, or shelters;
Children and youth who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
Children and youth who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, bus stations, or similar settings;
Children and youth who are living in substandard or crowded housing or trailers; or
Migratory and unaccompanied children and youth who qualify as homeless because they are living in similar circumstances listed above.

* Can the student go to the SAME PLACE (fixed) EVERY NIGHT (regular) to sleep in a SAFE AND SUFFICIENT SPACE (adequate)?

For a comprehensive array of issues related to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and its implementation, visit the Best Practices in Homeless Education Series at http://center.serve.org/nche/