Homeless Education Program

Homeless Education Presentation 

The Law - General Information 

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act is the federal law that governs the educational rights of children and youth in homeless situations.  The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 reauthorized the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.  In an effort to strengthen accountability at both the state and local level, the reauthorization includes the requirement for every school district in the country to designate a homeless liaison.  Homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate public education.

If you or your child: 

• live in a shelter

• share housing with relatives or others because you lost your housing or cannot afford housing

• live in a campground, car, abandoned building, or other inadequate shelter

• do not have a permanent address and/or permanent housing

• live on the street

• if you are an unaccompanied youth

You may have the right to: 

• immediately enroll in and attend school without having health and school records with you 

• enroll in school where you are living or the school attended when permanently housed... if in your child's best interest

• receive transportation to and from school of origin

• participate in school related activities and receive other needed services

• utilize dispute resolution process if you have a grievance
  Forsyth County Schools Complaint Procedures
  McKinney-Vento Act Basics: Educational Rights for Homeless Children and Youth MV Parent Rights: English
  El Acta McKinney-Vento: Información Básica y Derechos Educativos MV Parent Rights: Spanish  

For additional information on the educational rights of homeless children and youth, you may visit these recommended sites:

National Center for Homeless Education at Serve

P.O.Box 5367

Greensboro, NC  27435

Phone:  800-755-3277

http://www.serve.org/nche

National Coalition for the Homeless

22901 P Street NW

Washington, DC  20037

Phone:  202-462-4822

Fax:  202-462-4823

info@nationalhomeless.org

http://nationalhomeless.org

National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty

918 F Street NW, #412

Washington, DC  20004

Phone:  202-638-2523

Fax:  202-628-2737

HN0749@handset.org

http://www.nlchp.org

National Alliance to End Homelessness

1518 K. Street NW, #206

Washington, DC  20005

Phone:  202-638-1526

naeh@ari.net

http://www.endhomelessness.org/

The homeless liaison is charged with enforcing state and federal protections for homeless students and may be contacted with issues regarding enrolling or maintaining attendance for students experiencing homelessness. 

The liaison is responsible for: 

• identification of homeless children and youth (by school personnel and through coordination activities with other entities and agencies);

• facilitate enrollment and participation to obtain equal opportunity and success in school;

• ensure that educational services for which such families are eligible (including Head Start).  The parents and guardians of homeless children and youth get informed of the educational and related opportunities available to their children and are provided with meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children;

• outreach - public notices of the educational rights of homeless children and youth is disseminated; 

• enrollment disputes are mediated in accordance; 

• assist the unaccompanied youth with enrollment, obtaining records, and information regarding their rights under the law.

Kim Pluhar

Homeless Education Liaison

Forsyth County Schools

1140 Dahlonega Hwy

Cumming, GA  30040

Phone:  770-887-2461, ext. 205511

kpluhar@forsyth.K12.ga.us