Losing Your Home? Know Your Child's Education Rights!

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Losing your home can be devastating.  To minimize the disruption to your child’s life, you can continue to have your students attend the same school they attended before your family became homeless, if you want them to, and it is feasible.  This right is protected by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act.  Decisions about all children should be “student-centered” and “individualized.”  Your child’s original school will also provide transportation, if necessary, as well as referrals to medical and dental care and food assistance.  If low cost medical or dental services are not available in your community, schools can use McKinney-Vento funding to provide these services directly to your child.

According to the McKinney-Vento Act, your child is homeless if he or she lacks “a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” This includes those who:

  • Live doubled up with friends or family because they cannot afford housing
  • Live in motels, hotels, camp grounds, abandoned buildings, bus stations and parks
  • Live in emergency shelters
  • Are awaiting foster care placement

If your child receives special education services, the requirement of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that students be educated in the least restrictive environment does not take away your child’s right to remain in his or her original school district.  For example, if you are temporarily living with relatives close to School B but used to live near School A before you became homeless, your child has the right to continue to attend School A until you find a permanent home.

Every school system has a homelessness liaison that can assist you to obtain the services your child needs.  Find your liaison by contacting your local school administration office or by calling Dana Scott, the Colorado State Coordinator for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, at (303) 866-6930 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  You can also find a listing of liaisons on the web at www.cde.state.co.us/cdeprevention/homeless_liaisons.htm

For more information:

 

This article is reprinted with permission of the Federation For Children with Special Needs, and was authored by Amanda Green, with their Parent Training and Information Project.  Contact the Federation for Children with Special Needs with future inquiries at www.fcsn.org.

 

PEAK Parent Center www.peakparent.org - Fall 2010 SPEAKout Newsletter