U NACCOMPANIED
H OMELESS S TUDENTS :
W HAT YOU N EED TO
K NOW
Christina Endres
Program Specialist
National Center for Homeless
Education
G ET
TO
K NOW NCHE…
 NCHE is the U.S. Department of Education’s
homeless education technical assistance &
information center
 NCHE has:
 A comprehensive website: www.serve.org/nche
 A toll-free helpline: Call 800-308-2145 or e-mail
homeless@serve.org
 A listserv: visit www.serve.org/nche/listserv.php for
subscription instructions
 Free resources : Visit
www.serve.org/nche/products.php
S ESSION O UTLINE
 Characteristics of unaccompanied homeless
youth (UHY)
 Identifying UHY
 McKinney-Vento and related educational rights
 Serving UHY
D EMOGRAPHICS
 Studies estimate that 1+ million youth will
become unaccompanied homeless youth each
year
 There is a disproportionate representation of
minority ethnic groups, LGBT youth, and
pregnant or parenting teens
 Generally homeless youth are 13 or older, but
they can be younger
PATHS TO B EING
“O N Y OUR O WN ”
 Longstanding patterns of family conflict,
blended family issues, abuse and/or neglect
within the home
 Parental incarceration, substance abuse,
illness, hospitalization, or death
 Pregnancy, sexual activity, sexual
orientation, gender identity, school
problems, alcohol/drug use
PATHS TO B EING
“O N Y OUR O WN ”
 Foster care issues: running away from a foster
care placement, aging out of the foster care
system
 Some students become homeless with their
families, but end up on their own due to lack of
space in temporary accommodations or shelter
policies that prohibit adolescent boys
I DENTIFYING U NACCOMPANIED
H OMELESS Y OUTH
 2-step process
1. Does the student’s living arrangement meet the
McKinney-Vento Act’s definition of homeless?
2. Once homelessness is determined, is the student
unaccompanied?
Housing
Physical
Custody
UHY
S TEP 1: I S
THE
S TUDENT H OMELESS ?
 Children or youth who lack a fixed, regular, and
adequate nighttime residence, including:
 Sharing the housing of others due to loss of
housing, economic hardship, or similar reason
(“doubling up”)
 Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping
grounds due to the lack of adequate alternative
accommodations
 Living in emergency or transitional shelters
S TEP 1: I S
THE
S TUDENT H OMELESS ?
 Awaiting foster care placement
 Living in a public or private place not designed for
humans to live
 Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings,
substandard housing, bus or train stations, or a
similar setting
 Migratory children living in the above
circumstances
 Unaccompanied youth living in the above
circumstances
S TEP 2: I S THE S TUDENT
U NACCOMPANIED ?
 Unaccompanied youth: a child or youth “not in
the physical custody of a parent or guardian”
 The Act refers to physical custody, not legal
custody; in practical terms, this means that the
student is living apart from his/her parent(s) or
guardian(s)
IS
THERE AN
A GE L IMIT ?
 Lower: No lower age limit for
unaccompanied homeless
youth
 Upper: Your state’s upper age
limit for public education,
which is usually 21, but can
be older
A NGELA
Angela is sixteen years old and had to leave home
when she told her parents that she was pregnant.
She moved in with her 18-year-old boyfriend who
has his own apartment and has a job. She has
come to your school, which is near
her boyfriend’s apartment, to
enroll.
“B UT,
THE STUDENT CHOSE TO LEAVE …”
 Callers to the National Runaway
Safeline:

48% said they were kicked out

30% said they ran away

22% said it was a combination
 Examine the housing situation, not
the perceived choice
P LYLER V. D OE
 Federal court case
 Determined undocumented
students are eligible for
educational services to the same
extent as documented students
 Includes students eligible under
McKinney-Vento
M C K INNEY-V ENTO P ROVISIONS : A LL
H OMELESS S TUDENTS
 Immediate enrollment, even if lacking
paperwork normally required
 School selection: Can attend either the local
attendance area school or the school of origin,
according to the student’s best interest
 Transportation to the school of origin
 Comparable services, including transportation
 Free school meals
M C K INNEY-V ENTO P ROVISIONS : A LL
H OMELESS S TUDENTS
 Access to educational programs such as: Title I,
special education, English language learners,
migrant education, vocational and technical
education, gifted and talented, etc.
 Referrals to other services such as health,
dental, mental health, and other appropriate
services
 Policy revisions: special attention must be given
to ensuring enrollment and attendance of
homeless students not attending school
M C K INNEY-V ENTO R IGHTS : UHY
 Enroll without proof of guardianship
 Enroll with liaison assistance
 Select a school of attendance with liaison
assistance
 Receive transportation with liaison assistance
 Initiate dispute resolution process for self
 Receive assistance with disputes from liaison
 Receive written notice in disputes
M C K INNEY -V ENTO P ROVISIONS : UHY
 Subgrant applications may include criteria
regarding the extent to which case
management or related services will be
provided to UHY
 Authorized use of funds: “Services and
assistance to attract, engage, and retain…
unaccompanied homeless youths, in public
school programs and services provided to
nonhomeless children and youths”
IDEA: S URROGATE PARENTS F OR UHY
 “Must make reasonable efforts” to appoint within
30 days
 Considered the UHY’s parent for special education
purposes
 Cannot be an employee of the SEA, LEA, or any
other agency involved in the education or care of
the child
 Must have no personal or professional interests in
conflict with the child’s interests
 Must have the necessary knowledge and skills
IDEA: T EMPORARY S URROGATE PARENTS FOR
UHY
 Appointed immediately and considered the
parent for special education purposes
 Shelter, independent living program, and
street outreach program staff and qualified
school personnel involved in the education
or care of the child may be appointed
 Must have no personal or professional
interests in conflict with the child’s interests
 Must have the necessary knowledge and
skills
C OLLEGE C OST R EDUCTION & A CCESS
A CT (CCRAA)
 UHY, as determined by a liaison, HUD or RHYA
shelter director, or college Financial Aid
Administrator (FAA), can apply for federal
financial aid as independent students using the
FAFSA
 Independent students
 Don’t need a parent/guardian signature on the FAFSA
 Are awarded aid without consideration for
parent/guardian income
CCRAA I NFORMATION
 Visit www.serve.org/nche/ibt/higher_ed.php for
more information on the FAFSA and additional
supports (SAT/ACT fee waivers, GEAR UP, TRIO,
etc.)
“O THER S TUFF ”
 Consider state-specific issues: Reporting,
medical consent, etc.
 FERPA: Parental consent is not required for
transfer of records to an enrolling school
 General liability concerns: The relationship
between liability and negligence
J EREMY
Jeremy couldn’t get along with his stepfather and
is living temporarily with his grandmother. He
wants to enroll in your school,
but his mom called to insist that
the school force Jeremy to come
home and threatens to sue the
school if you enroll Jeremy.
I DENTIFICATION S TRATEGIES
 Provide awareness activities for school staff
(registrars, secretaries, counselors, social
workers, nurses, teachers, bus drivers,
administrators, truancy and attendance officers,
security officers, etc.) about the specific needs
of runaway and homeless youth
 Develop relationships with dropout prevention
programs, truancy officials, and other
attendance officers. Many unaccompanied
homeless youth are out of school!
I DENTIFICATION S TRATEGIES
 Reach out to community agencies and ask them to
be your “eyes and ears” in the community to
support school efforts to reach UHY
 Enlist other students to help spread the word
 Post outreach materials where students may spend
time, including laundromats, parks, campgrounds,
skate parks, clubs/organizations
I DENTIFICATION S TRATEGIES
NCHE youth outreach materials:
 Youth educational rights poster:
http://center.serve.org/nche/pr/er_p
oster.php
 Higher education poster:
http://center.serve.org/nche/pr/he_p
oster.php
 Surviving on Your Own booklet:
http://center.serve.org/nche/pr/yout
h_booklet.php
B UILD
TRUSTING RELATIONSHIPS
 Think like a youth
 Inform students up-front about circumstances that
require reporting to child welfare or law
enforcement and make reports with them present
 Keep in mind the challenges that UHY are facing as
you work with them and provide support as able
 Encourage UHY to stay in school; support them and
advocate for them in getting their education
 Remember: they’re evaluating you as you evaluate
them!
E NROLLMENT S TRATEGIES
 US ED Guidance: “Develop
caregiver affidavits, enrollment
forms for unaccompanied
homeless youth, and other forms
to replace typical proof of
guardianship…such forms should
be carefully crafted so they do
not create further barriers or
delay enrollment”
July 2004 Policy Guidance, Question G -8
E NROLLMENT S TRATEGIES
 Three common methods for enrolling UHY
 The student enrolls himself/herself
 A caregiver enrolls the student (see
http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/toolki
t/app_d.pdf for sample enrollment forms)
 The liaison enrolls the student
E NROLLMENT R EMINDERS
 A school district cannot require a caregiver to
obtain legal guardianship at any point prior to
or following an UHY’s enrollment
 A school district cannot discontinue a student’s
enrollment due to an inability to identify a
caregiver, guardian, or parent or to produce
guardianship or other paperwork following
enrollment
E XTRA - CURRICULAR A CTIVITIES
 McKinney-Vento defines enrollment as “attending
classes and participating fully in school activities ”
 Includes extra-curricular activities offered through
school
 SEAs and LEAs must develop, review, and revise
policies to remove barriers to the enrollment and
retention of homeless children and youth in
schools
 Program fees and deadlines can be waived (For sample
policy: www.serve.org/nche/forum/extra_curr.php)
E XTRA - CURRICULAR A CTIVITIES
 McKinney-Vento funds can be used to assist
with program fees, if needed
 States have implemented a variety of policies
regarding signing/decision-making for UHY to
participate in school activities
 Youth sign for themselves
 Local liaison signs for the youth
 Caregiver signs for the youth
E DUCATIONAL S UPPORT
 Provide access to diversified learning opportunities
(vocational education, credit-for-work programs,
flexible school hours, etc.) but don’t assume youth
will need or desire this option
 Provide before- or after-school support
 Permit exceptions to school policies on class
schedules, tardiness, absences, and credits to
accommodate needs
 Assist with credit accrual and recovery (chunking
credits, partial credits, flexible school hours, etc.)
 Provide access to a “safe place” and trained mentor
at school
F OR M ORE I NFORMATION
Barbara Greene
Christina Endres
State Coordinator
Mississippi Department of
Education
bgreene@mde.k12.ms.us
(601) 359-3499
Program Specialist
National Center for
Homeless Education
cendres@serve.org
(336) 315-7438
NCHE website:
www.serve.org/nche/ibt/sc_youth.php
NCHE helpline: 800-308-2145 or
homeless@serve.org
DATA S OURCES
Homeless Youth in the United States: Recent
Research Findings and Intervention Approaches,
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/homelessness/symposi
um07/toro/index.htm
Why They Run www.1800runaway.org