Homeless Information
Who is Homeless?
In 1987, Congress passed the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Subtitle B of Title VII of this Act entitled, Education for Homeless Children and Youth, was amended in 2001 as part of No Child Left Behind, Title X, Part C and was amended again in December 2015 for the Every Student Succeeds Act. Under the amendments (Sec. 725), the phrase “homeless children and youths” means individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence.
The Basic Education Circular: Education for Homeless Youth 42 U.S.C. 11431 dated February 29, 2008, and most recently reviewed on December 10, 2016, explains the categories of children who are “homeless” and entitled to protections of the federal law. These categories include children and youths who are:
Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason
Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to alternative adequate accommodations
Living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals
Individuals and/or families living with relatives or friends due to loss of housing
Primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used for regular sleeping accommodations for human beings such as living in a vehicle, park, public space, or an abandoned building
Living in substandard housing
Migratory children who qualify as homeless
“Unaccompanied homeless youth” including any child who is “not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian” (42 U.S.C. 1143a (6)). This includes youth who have run away from home, been thrown out of their home, been abandoned by parents or guardians, or separated from their parent for any reason
Here is the link to the full Basic Education Circular (BEC). https://www.education.pa.gov/Policy-Funding/BECS/uscode/Pages/EducationforHomelessYouth.aspx
Every school district is required to have a liaison. This individual will assist with the implementation of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and can be contacted for more information:
District Contact:
The homeless liaison/coordinator for Greenwood School District is Superintendent, Mary Murphy-Kahn. Please contact the district office for additional information or questions at 717-589-3117.
McKinney-Vento Act Additional Resources:
Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH) - Region 3 Parent Guide
PA Department of Education Resources