McKinney Vento Homeless Act

Information for School-Aged Youth

The word homeless typically does not bring to mind images of children and youth, but the reality is that many people experiencing homelessness are under the age of 18; some of them are a part of families experiencing homelessness, while others are youth experiencing homelessness on their own. Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, reauthorized in 2015 by Title IX, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act, (42 U.S.C. ยง 11431 et seq.) is a Federal law that addresses the educational needs of children and youth experiencing homelessness. This brief provides basic information about the scope of the issue of child and youth homelessness, the impact of homelessness on education, and the educational rights and supports available to children and youth experiencing homelessness.

Homelessness is defined by the McKinney-Vento act as:

  • (A) means an individual who lacks a regular, fixed, and adequate nighttime residence; and,

  • (B) includes the following:

    • children and youth who are sharing the housing of other persons due to the loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason;

    • are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations;

    • are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals 

    • 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, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings

    • migratory children who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described above

Children who are eligible for McKinney-Vento services have the right to:

  • receive free, appropriate education to which they are entitled.

  • be enrolled in school immediately, even if they are lacking documents normally required for enrollment.

  • be enrolled in school, attend classes, and participate fully in all school activities while the school gathers necessary records.

  • enroll in the local school near where they are living or continue to attend their school of origin (the school they attended when permanently housed or the last school enrolled) if that is your preference and is in the best interest. If the school district believes the school selected is not in the students' best interest, then the district must provide the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth a written explanation of its position and inform him/her of the right to appeal the decision.  

  • receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if requested by parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth and if it is in the best interest.

  • receive educational services comparable to those provided to all other students, according to the student's needs.  

More information regarding the McKinney-Vento Act and the rights of children or youth who qualify may be found here.

Policy for Disputes

Parent Appeal for McKinney Veto Decision

Number of MVH Students Served:

2017-18

2018-19

2019-20

20-21

21-22

22-23

38

30

50

28

47

52

If you believe you or your child may be eligible for services, contact the guidance counselor at your child's school.

For more information Nation Center for Homeless Education

For additional questions or concerns contact the local liaison

Amber Dunn

amber.dunn@n-ccs.org

Newton-Conover City Schools

605 N Ashe Ave

Newton, NC 28658

Phone: 828.466.5581

North Carolina State Level Contact

Lisa Phillips

336-315-7491