Homeless: McKinney-Vento

Changing schools frequently can negatively impact students' education, causing them to fall behind. Students that qualify for educational assistance through the McKinney-Vento Act can stay at the school they have been attending or transfer to the district in which they are temporarily staying. The caregiver of the student will make the choice. This does not mean you can go to any school. It has to be one of the schools noted above. Once you and your family become permanently housed, your student may finish the school year at his/her current school or transfer to the new district. Your school’s liaison can assist you in whichever decision you make for your student.

School districts are required to enroll McKinney-Vento eligible students without delay even if you do not have your student’s school or medical records. If you need assistance getting educational or medical records, ask to speak with the district’s liaison. They will assist you.

If you, as the caregiver, choose for your student to remain at the home school, the school district will work with you on transportation options. If the ride to school is estimated to be more than one hour, the district or liaison can request a meeting with you to determine how this may affect your student’s education.

Because of your unstable housing situation, your student is eligible to receive a free lunch each day, and if the district provides a breakfast program, that will also be provided at no cost. In addition, your student should not be charged to attend school. This includes books, locks, gym uniforms, class fees, sports programs and graduation fees.

Children under the age of five may qualify for educational services. Speak with your liaison or district’s early childhood staff for available programs in your area. Studies show PreK programs can help children get off to a good start in school.

Settling Disputes
With your McKinney-Vento eligibility, you must be provided with a written explanation of the district’s intent to dispute. Your school district must also provide you with a list of low-cost or free legal services to assist you during the dispute/appeal process. Once you have received notice that your district has filed for dispute, please contact your regional liaison. In the event of a dispute, your Regional Office of Education or Intermediate Service Center will appoint a mediator. The mediator will set a meeting time that is convenient for you and the school district in an attempt to resolve the dispute. If you do not agree with the decision of the mediator, you can appeal to the Illinois State Board of Education.

With your McKinney-Vento eligibility, you must be provided with a written explanation of the district’s intent to dispute. Your school district must also provide you with a list of low-cost or free legal services to assist you during the dispute/appeal process. Once you have received notice that your district has filed for dispute, please contact your regional liaison. In the event of a dispute, your Regional Office of Education or Intermediate Service Center will appoint a mediator. The mediator will set a meeting time that is convenient for you and the school district in an attempt to resolve the dispute. If you do not agree with the decision of the mediator, you can appeal to the Illinois State Board of Education.

The resources below are adapted from the National Center for Homeless Education’s Best Practice Issue Brief: “Determining Eligibility for Rights and Services under the McKinney-Vento Act” by Matthew Hanafee Area 1 Lead Liaison and Patricia Nix-Hodes, Law Project Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

Does the living situation of the child or youth fit into one of the specific examples of homelessness listed in the law?

• Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship or similar reason.
  Living in a motel, hotel, trailer park or camping ground due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations.
• Living in an emergency or transitional shelter.
• Abandoned in a hospital.
• Living in a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping
  accommodation for human beings.
• Living in a car, park, public space, abandoned building, substandard housing, bus or train station or similar setting.
• Migratory children in the above living situations.

If the living situation of the child or youth does not fit one of the specific examples of homelessness listed in the law, is the child or youth living in another type of situation that is not fixed, regular and adequate? 

Lacking any one of these conditions would make a child eligible:

• Fixed (A fixed residence is one that is stationary, permanent and not subject to change.) Sample questions: 
  • Is this a permanent or temporary arrangement?
  • Are you looking for another place to live?
  • Why are you living in your current situation?
  • Where would you go if you couldn’t stay where you are?
  • Where were you living before?
  • Could you be asked to leave at any time?
• Regular (A regular residence is used on a regular basis.) Sample questions:
  • Do you stay in the same place every night?
  • How long have you been staying in your current situation?
  • How long do you plan to stay?
  • How long did you live in your last place?
• Adequate (An adequate residence is one that is sufficient for meeting both the physical and psychological needs typically met in home environments.) Sample questions: 
  • How many people are in the living situation?
  • Where are you sleeping?
  • What are the conditions of the living situation?
  • Is there adequate heat, electricity and water?

• Frequent moving or inability to secure stable housing
• No place to effectively participate in e-Learning and other classwork 
• Lack of technology to complete school work (no Internet or functional equipment in temporary housing) 
• Moving to another school district: Families that tend to move often may enroll in another school/district without informing the former school
• May not be enrolled in any school due to lack of residency documentation
• Runaways: Students who are unhappy with their home situation may leave without letting the school or their families know their whereabouts
• Homelessness: Families undergoing eviction may seek shelters and other temporary housing that affects children’s school attendance
• Homeschooling and Private Coaching: In search of better grades, parents may choose remote learning options or hire a private tutor without informing the school
• Sickness: Students that fall seriously ill may miss many days of school as they recover

North Cook ISC provides additional services to help McKinney-Vento eligible students succeed in school. We partner with our school district McKinney-Vento liaisons to help identify and support students that may have participated in school on a limited basis or have not registered due to a current homeless situation. Our goal is to ensure students return to school quickly and provide additional resources to overcome any factors that may hinder their return.

To decrease chronic truancy, the McKinney-Vento Academic Navigator will follow up one-on-one with children who are experiencing homelessness to encourage them to go back to school. The Academic Navigator may visit the family, together with the help of school liaisons and other school personnel, to identify students’ needs and continue communicating with them until they re-enroll in a school district.

Please use this Attendance Support Student Referral Form to help us identify, locate and support students who are eligible for McKinney-Vento services. You can also contact Mary Nyaema, Academic Navigator, at mnyaema@ncisc.org if you have any further questions.

This form may be completed by caregivers of those supporting an unaccompanied youth (form is recommended, not required). This form should be signed by the unaccompanied youth, the caregiver/adult giving authorization and the district’s McKinney-Vento liaison. The school district should retain a copy of this form.

The Illinois State Board of Education provides this non-regulatory guidance on registration, residency and enrollment for immigrant and homeless students. 

• Center for Childhood Resilience
• Illinois ACEs Response Collaborative
• Illinois Childhood Trauma Coalition

The Illinois Department of Human Resources (IDHS) offers information about many Illinois programs for refugee families including the Illinois Welcoming Center (IWC), the New Americans Initiative (NAI), and the Immigrant Family Resource Program (IFRP).

IDHS also maintains a list of agencies that serve immigrants and the resources and services that they provide. 

Every year, RefugeeOne welcomes hundreds of refugees through the U.S. State Department’s Refugee Admissions Program. Having fled violence, persecution, and war, vulnerable refugees from around the world come to the U.S. to rebuild their lives. Resettlement is a long and often difficult process. RefugeeOne not only equips refugees with the skills needed to survive, but also provides a full range of coordinated services that empower refugees to build the foundation for a flourishing life here in the United States. Services include: 

• Resettlement services
• English language training
• Workforce development
• Wellness program
• Sewing studio
• Youth & young adults program
• Women's services,
• Immigration assistance

Email info@refugeeone.org or call (773) 989-5647. They are open Monday– Friday, 8:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.

Find many resources for supporting newcomers from the IEL. 

• Regional Homeless Liaisons: State of Illinois

• School District Liaison: State of Illinois

• College Homeless Liaisons: State of Illinois

The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth developed a comprehensive FAQ document.