ERIC ED574561: Supporting the Education of Unaccompanied Homeless Students. Updated. McKinney-Vento Law into Practice Brief Series

2013·0.78 MB·English

by  ERIC

National Center for Homeless Education
Supporting the Education of Children and
Youth Experiencing Homelessness
www.serve.org/nche
McKinney-Vento Law Into Practice Brief Series
Supporting the Education of Unaccompanied Homeless Students
Homelessness is a devastating circumstance for any child or
youth, but for youth on their own, the stresses of homelessness
Who is homeless?
are multiplied. The myriad of challenges faced by youth
(McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act – Title
experiencing homelessness on their own puts these students at
X, Part C of the No Child Left Behind Act – Sec
risk of dropping out or school failure. Subtitle VII-B of the 725)
McKinney- Vento Homeless Assistance Act (reauthorized under
The term “homeless children and youth”—
Title X, Part C of the No Child Left Behind Act) guarantees
A. means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and
rights and services for homeless students, including specific
adequate nighttime residence…; and
supports for unaccompanied homeless youth. This brief describes
B. includes —
the challenges unaccompanied homeless youth face, explains key
provisions of the McKinney-Vento Act, and suggests proven 1. children and youths who are sharing the
strategies from across the country for supporting the educational housing of other persons due to loss of
housing, economic hardship, or similar
success of this vulnerable population. Briefs on additional
reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer
homeless education topics are available at http://center.serve.
parks, or camping grounds due to the lack
org/nche/briefs.php. of alternative accommodations; are living
in emergency or transitional shelters; are
abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting
Who Are Unaccompanied Homeless Youth? foster care placement;
2. children and youths who have a primary
nighttime residence that is a public
or private place not designed for or
Federal Definition
ordinarily used as a regular sleeping
accommodation for human beings…
An unaccompanied homeless youth is a youth who
meets the definitions of unaccompanied youth and homeless 3. children and youths who are living in cars,
parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings,
included in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance
substandard housing, bus or train stations,
Act (42 USC §§11431-11435, 2001; hereafter referred to
or similar settings; and
as The McKinney-Vento Act). The Act defines unaccompanied
4. migratory children who qualify as
youth as, “a youth not in the physical custody of a parent
homeless for the purposes of this
subtitle because the children are living
in circumstances described in clauses (i)
through (iii).
or guardian” (42 USC §11434a(6), 2001).
This means that the youth is not living with a Unaccompanied = Homeless?
parent or guardian, and includes youth who are
residing with a caregiver who does not have legal
guardianship and youth who are living on their While many unaccompanied youth are homeless,
own. not all are. To be considered eligible for
McKinney-Vento services, an unaccompanied
The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless youth’s living arrangement must meet the
children or youth as, “individuals who lack a McKinney-Vento definition of homeless. Download
fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence” NCHE’s Unaccompanied Youth Eligibility Flowchart
and provides a list of examples of living at http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/uhy-
arrangements that meet this definition (42 USC elig-chart.pdf for more information on when an
§11434a(2), 2001) (see sidebar on page 1 for the unaccompanied youth may be considered homeless
full definition of homeless). and, therefore, eligible for McKinney-Vento
services, and when he or she may not be.
To be eligible for services under the McKinney-
Vento Act as an unaccompanied homeless
youth, the student must lack a fixed, regular, and
(Hammer, Finkelhor, & Sedlak, 2002).
adequate nighttime residence, and not be in the
physical custody of a parent or guardian.
Paths to Being On Their Own
Age Restrictions Unaccompanied homeless youth consistently
report family dysfunction as a primary reason
The McKinney-Vento Act includes no program-
they no longer live at home. Family problems
specific age requirements to qualify as an
may include issues related to blended families,
unaccompanied homeless youth. Thus, if a youth
substance abuse, pregnancy, and sexual activity
is eligible for K-12 public education in the state,
or orientation. In addition, parental neglect and
he or she may be enrolled and served as an
abuse (emotional, physical, sexual, or substance),
unaccompanied homeless youth. In many states,
incarceration, illness, deportation, or death can
the upper age limit for eligibility for public
lead to youth being on their own. Many youth
education is 21; however, this limit may be lower
experience homelessness after running away
in some states and/or may be extended in some
from a foster care placement or aging out of
states for students receiving special education
foster care. Also, some youth are forced to leave
services. A handful of states have no upper age
their families when the family becomes homeless
limit for K-12 public education. Contact your
and cannot secure shelter that can accommodate
State Coordinator for Homeless Education with
all family members.
questions about public education age restrictions
in your state. State Coordinator contact According to Appendix A of the U.S.
information is available at http://center.serve. Department of Education’s (US ED) Non-
org/nche/states/state_resources.php. Regulatory Guidance, an unaccompanied
homeless youth is eligible for services under
The Numbers the McKinney-Vento Act regardless of the
circumstances that led to the separation from
Estimates of youth homelessness vary widely,
family; this includes students who ran away from
depending on the definitions of homeless and
home and those who are being denied housing
youth that are used. Disparate sampling and
by their families (2004, p. 31). It is important to
estimation methods also can yield different
remember that the dynamics of family conflict or
results. With this in mind, experts estimate
dysfunction often are considered very personal
that as many as 1.7 million youth experience
and may not be shared readily with school staff.
homelessness on their own in any given year
As such, what students or parents disclose may
Supporting the Education of Unaccompanied Homeless Students 2
be an inaccurate or incomplete picture of what • Lack of safe, stable housing
has occurred within the family.
• Lack of support from a caring adult
The primary responsibility of schools is to enroll
• Lack of basic needs, including food and
and educate homeless children and youth in
healthcare, resulting in hunger, fatigue, and
accordance with the McKinney-Vento Act,
poor health
which neither authorizes nor requires schools
to make judgments about the validity of why a • Lack of consistent access to bathing and
student is not living with a parent or guardian. laundry facilities
Rather, determinations of program eligibility
• Emotional crises/mental health problems
are to be based solely on the definitions of
unaccompanied and homeless included in the law. • Lack of access to school records and other
A student’s eligibility should be evaluated based paperwork
on the nature of his or her current nighttime
• Lack of school supplies and clothing
living arrangement, not the circumstances that
caused him or her to leave home. • Employment that interferes with school
attendance and homework
Educational Barriers • Irregular school attendance
• Difficulty accumulating credits due to school
mobility
Unaccompanied homeless youth face many
barriers to enrolling, attending, and succeeding
• Lack of transportation
in school, including:
• Concerns about being reported to child
welfare and/or law enforcement agencies
Local Homeless Education Liaisons Educational Rights Under the
McKinney-Vento Act
Under the McKinney-Vento Act, every school
district must appoint a local homeless education
The purpose of the McKinney-Vento Act is to
liaison to serve as the key homeless education
address the problems that homeless children
contact in the district. The local liaison leads and
and youth face in enrolling, attending, and
oversees the implementation of the McKinney-
succeeding in school. This is accomplished by
Vento Act within the district, ensuring that
ensuring that eligible students have equal access
eligible children are identified and provided with
to the same free, appropriate public education
the rights and services to which they are entitled.
as other children and youth, experience school
The McKinney-Vento Act includes specific local
stability despite residential mobility, and receive
liaison responsibilities regarding unaccompanied
the educational and other services they need
homeless youth. Because many of these youth
to enable them to meet the same challenging
have little or no support from a responsible, caring
academic achievement standards to which all
adult, the local liaison’s interest and involvement in
students are held. To this end, McKinney-Vento
the education of unaccompanied homeless youth
eligible students, including unaccompanied
can be very valuable and, in fact, life-changing
homeless youth, have the right to:
for these students. For more information about
the responsibilities of the local liaison, download • Enroll in school immediately, even if lacking
NCHE’s Local Homeless Education Liaisons brief at documents normally required for enrollment
http://center.serve.org/nche/briefs.php.
• Enroll in school and attend classes while the
Supporting the Education of Unaccompanied Homeless Students 3
school gathers needed documents
Disputes Under the McKinney-Vento Act
• Enroll in the local attendance area school
or continue attending their school of origin
(the school they attended when permanently
In most cases, the school district and
housed or the school in which they were last
unaccompanied homeless youth will be in
enrolled), if that is the parent’s, guardian’s,
agreement about what is in the student’s
or unaccompanied youth’s preference and
educational best interest, including which school
is feasible; if the school district believes the
is in his or her best interest to attend. In some
school selected is not in the student’s best
cases, however, the position of the school district
interest, then the district must provide the
may differ from that of the unaccompanied youth.
parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth
In these instances, the unaccompanied homeless
with a written explanation of its position
youth may use the McKinney-Vento dispute
and inform him/her of the right to appeal its
resolution process to dispute the school district’s
decision (see sidebar)
decision, if desired. Local liaisons must ensure that
unaccompanied homeless youth have access to the
• Receive transportation to and from the
dispute resolution process and that the dispute is
school of origin, if requested by the parent,
resolved promptly and in accordance with the law.
guardian, or unaccompanied youth
For more information on dispute resolution under
• Receive educational services comparable to the McKinney-Vento Act, download NCHE’s
those provided to other students, according Dispute Resolution brief at http://center.serve.org/
to the student’s need nche/briefs.php.
• Not be stigmatized or segregated on the
basis of homeless status
In addition, the McKinney-Vento Act - Ensure that the dispute is resolved
includes the following provisions specific to promptly and in accordance with the
unaccompanied homeless youth: law
• The right to immediate enrollment without - Enroll in the selected school
proof of guardianship immediately, pending resolution of
the dispute
• Assistance from the local homeless
education liaison (hereafter referred to as
local liaison, see sidebar on page 3 for more Identifying Unaccompanied Homeless
information about the role of the local Youth
liaison) to:
x
Select a school of attendance, whether
Identifying unaccompanied homeless youth is
the local attendance area or the school of
a crucial first step in ensuring that these youth
origin, and enroll immediately
receive the educational supports they need.
x Receive transportation to and from the The identification of these youth, however, can
school of origin, if requested be challenging, as they often avoid identifying
themselves for a variety of reasons, including:
x
In the case of a dispute between the
school district and the youth: • Lack of understanding of the McKinney-
Vento definition of homelessness, which
- Ensure that the youth receives
extends beyond some of the more common
written notice of the school district’s
conceptions of homelessness
position and information about how
to appeal the decision, if desired • Desire to avoid the stigma often associated
Supporting the Education of Unaccompanied Homeless Students 4
with homelessness circumstances under which they may be
required to report him or her to child
• Discomfort with discussing the
welfare and/or law enforcement
circumstances, which are often very personal
x
and sensitive, that led to the student being Keep in mind the challenges that
homeless and on his/her own unaccompanied homeless youth are
facing when working with these students
• Fear of being treated differently by school
x
personnel or other students if they are Inform eligible youth of their rights
“found out” under the McKinney-Vento Act
x
• Fear of being reported to child welfare and/ Listen to the youth’s concerns and
or law enforcement agencies wishes in a nonjudgmental way
x
Some effective strategies for identifying Provide support as you are able; items
unaccompanied homeless youth include: that may seem trivial to some, such as
a small packet of school supplies or
• Post outreach materials where youth
hygiene items, may be very helpful to
congregate, including laundromats, parks,
unaccompanied homeless youth and
campgrounds, skate parks, youth clubs/
received as a caring gesture
organizations, libraries, and 24-hour stores
x
Encourage unaccompanied homeless
• Develop outreach materials targeted
youth to stay in school; advocate for
specifically to homeless youth; visit http://
their educational success
center.serve.org/nche/products.php to order
NCHE’s youth educational rights posters
or youth booklets entitled Surviving on Your Enrolling Unaccompanied Homeless
Own: Information for Youth on How School Youth
Can Help
• Include the contact information for the The McKinney-Vento Act defines enrollment
local liaison in all outreach materials so that as “attending classes and participating fully in
youth needing assistance will know whom to school activities” (42 USC §11434a(1), 2001). As
contact mentioned, McKinney-Vento eligible students,
including unaccompanied homeless youth, are
• Use means of communication that are
entitled to enroll in school immediately, even
comfortable for youth, such as websites,
if lacking documents normally required for
email, texting, and social media
enrollment.
• Enlist other students to help spread the
word about services offered to homeless Enrollment Methods
students
While the Act does not specify a particular
• Make the school a welcoming and
method that must be used to enroll
supportive place
unaccompanied homeless youth immediately, in
question G-8 of its Non-Regulatory Guidance,
• Build trusting relationships with
US ED recommends that school districts
unaccompanied homeless youth; to this end,
develop caregiver affidavits, self-enrollment
local liaisons or staff should:
forms, or other forms to replace typical proof
x
Conduct sensitive conversations with of guardianship for unaccompanied homeless
youth in an office or other area that youth (2004). Such forms should be crafted
allows for confidentiality carefully so as not to create further barriers or
x delay enrollment. The above recommendation
Inform a youth up-front about the
Supporting the Education of Unaccompanied Homeless Students 5
has translated into three common methods an unaccompanied homeless youth’s right to
school districts use for enrolling unaccompanied immediate school enrollment. In addition,
homeless youth: the McKinney-Vento Act requires that states
and school districts develop, review, and revise
• The student enrolls himself/herself using a
policies to remove barriers to the school
self-enrollment form
enrollment and retention of homeless children
• An adult caregiver enrolls the student and youth (42 USC §11432(g)(1)(I), 2001).
• The local liaison enrolls the student Signature Issues Beyond Initial Enrollment
A school district cannot require a caregiver to
Because the McKinney-Vento Act defines
obtain legal guardianship at any point prior
enrollment as “attending classes and
to or following an unaccompanied homeless
participating fully in school activities,” school
youth’s school enrollment, nor can it discontinue
districts must develop policies not only related
a student’s enrollment due to an inability to
to enrolling unaccompanied homeless youth
identify a caregiver, guardian, or parent, or
without a parent or guardian, but also related
produce proof of guardianship.
to determining who can sign for issues and
activities involved in a student’s ongoing school
Download Appendix D: Enrollment Tools of
participation. These issues may include:
NCHE’s Local Homeless Education Liaison Toolkit
at http://center.serve.org/nche/downloads/
• Who may sign for school absences
toolkit/app_d.pdf for sample enrollment forms
that may be useful when enrolling McKinney- • Who may sign for participation in
Vento students, including unaccompanied extracurricular activities, school field trips,
homeless youth. and other school programming
• Who may consent to medical services for
Supremacy of Federal Law
unaccompanied homeless youth who have
According to the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. not reached age of majority in their state
Constitution (Article VI, Clause 2), federal
As with immediate school enrollment, federal
law supersedes state law should a conflict arise
law does not require a specific approach to
between the two. As such, any state laws or
the above issues. As such, school districts have
local policies that conflict with the federal
some flexibility to decide the approach that
McKinney-Vento Act would be superseded by
makes the most sense based on the individual
the provisions of the Act, including any state
circumstances of each youth, so long as the
or local provisions that would infringe upon
student is enrolled immediately and participating
NCHE Issue Briefs on Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
The following NCHE issue briefs, available at http://www.serve.org/nche/briefs.php, inform educators and service
providers about various issues related to educational access and success for unaccompanied homeless youth:
• Ensuring Full Participation in Extra-Curricular Activities for Students Experiencing Homelessness
• Increasing Access to Higher Education for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth: Information for Colleges and Universities
• Maximizing Credit Accrual and Recovery for Homeless Students
• When Legal Guardians Are Not Present: Enrolling Youth on Their Own
Supporting the Education of Unaccompanied Homeless Students 6
fully in school activities. Ensuring Full Participation in Extra-Curricular
Activities for Students Experiencing Homelessness
Extracurricular Participation brief at http://center.serve.org/nche/briefs.
php. For sample state policies related to
For many unaccompanied homeless youth,
extracurricular participation, visit http://center.
participation in extracurricular activities is
serve.org/nche/forum/extra_curr.php.
an important part of school engagement.
Participation in extracurricular activities helps
Access to School Records Under FERPA
build self-esteem, and gives students a sense of
purpose, accomplishment, and connection to According to the Family Educational Rights and
school and other students. Yet, participation in Privacy Act (FERPA), generally schools must
extracurricular activities often requires that the have written parent (or eligible student) consent
student pay activity fees and/or meet deadlines to release information from a student’s education
or residential requirements. records. However, FERPA permits schools into
which a student is transferring or enrolling
Schools may consider a number of strategies to
to receive information from that student’s
cover activity fees for unaccompanied homeless
education records without written consent (US
youth who are unable to pay them, including:
ED, 2009, p. 13). As such, despite the absence
of a parent or guardian for unaccompanied
• Waive activity fees
homeless youth, schools should be granted access
• Invite school organizations such as the PTA to the education records of enrolling students.
or booster club to contribute funds to cover
these fees Sometimes, the transfer of school records may
be delayed or the information that is received
• Invite local business partners or school is insufficient to gain a complete understanding
alumni to donate funds to be used for this of a student’s academic standing. For more
purpose information about making school placement
decisions under these circumstances, download
• Use McKinney-Vento subgrant funds to
cover these fees1; because student needs NCHE’s Prompt and Proper Placement: Enrolling
Students without Records brief at http://center.
often exceed the availability of McKinney-
serve.org/nche/briefs.php.
Vento funds, NCHE only recommends this
as a last option when these fees can not be
Missing Documentation
covered from another source
School districts also should remove any barriers While McKinney-Vento eligible students
to extracurricular participation related to are entitled to immediate enrollment, even if
residential requirements and/or deadlines. Some lacking documentation normally required for
states, such as Delaware and Virginia, include enrollment, school districts may be interested in
specific provisions in their Athletic Association the following strategies for gathering missing
Handbooks that establish a homeless student’s documentation once enrollment has occurred:
right to participate in school sports, despite
• Birth certificates
school transfers or living outside the school’s
Birth certificates often can be ordered
residential zone.
online through State Departments of
For more information, download NCHE’s Health. Requests for birth records should be
submitted to the state in which the student
was born. For information on where to
1 One of the authorized activities for McKinney-Vento subgrant
funds included in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act obtain vital records in a particular state, visit
is the “provision of services and assistance to attract, engage, and
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm.
retain homeless children and youths, and unaccompanied youths,
in public school programs and services provided to nonhomeless
children and youths.” [§11433(d)(7)]
Supporting the Education of Unaccompanied Homeless Students 7
• Social Security cards2 Further, local liaisons should become aware
Information about obtaining an original of how the trauma that is often experienced
or replacement Social Security card can be as a result of homelessness can impact the
obtained at http://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/. behavior of unaccompanied homeless youth
and provide trauma-informed interventions.
• Immunization records
For more information about trauma-informed
Many states have an online immunization
care, download the National Center on Family
registry that can be accessed by doctors’
Homelessness’ Trauma-Informed Organizational
offices and other approved medical
Toolkit for Homeless Services at http://www.
providers. These registries can facilitate
familyhomelessness.org/media/90.pdf.
access to immunization records for highly
mobile students who may have limited
ability to obtain medical records from School Engagement Strategies
another county or state. Visit http://www.
cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/immuniz-records.
htm#where to learn more about obtaining of Once unaccompanied homeless youth are
past immunizations. enrolled, school districts should consider
the following practices to improve school
Unaccompanied homeless youth who need to
engagement among unaccompanied homeless
request a copy of their birth certificate, social
youth:
security card, or other government-issued record
may not have a stable address to which the • Provide access to school shower and laundry
records may be sent. Allowing the student to use facilities
the school address can expedite the process of
• Provide students with a secure place to store
obtaining original or certified copies of records.
personal belongings
School Discipline Issues • Provide flexibility with school assignments,
including deadlines and needed supplies;
The McKinney-Vento Act does not provide
unaccompanied homeless youth often may
immunity from normal school disciplinary
not have access to needed materials or a
guidelines; homeless students are subject to
quiet, stable place in which to complete
the same guidelines as their housed peers.
assignments
However, due to the McKinney-Vento mandate
that school districts develop, review, and revise • Implement policies to assist with
policies to remove barriers to the enrollment accumulating credits toward graduation,
and retention of homeless children and youth in such as chunking credits, implementing
schools, there may be instances when flexibility mastery-based learning, and providing
and leniency should be shown. For instance, partial credits for completed coursework
a student should not be penalized for issues
• Become familiar with state laws related to
related directly to his or her homelessness, such
the reporting of suspected abuse or neglect
as, in some cases, frequent tardiness or absences.
or a suspected runaway; understand under
Instead, local liaisons should work with youth
which circumstances you are required to
to understand homelessness-related barriers and
report and under which circumstances you
assist with overcoming them. Sometimes, basic
have flexibility about whether or to whom to
assistance, such as providing an alarm clock, is all
report based on your understanding of each
that is needed.
student’s unique situation
2 According to Plyler v. Doe, a 1982 Supreme Court case, schools
• Become familiar with state laws about minor
are prohibited from denying enrollment to immigrant students
based on immigration status. Information about obtaining a Social medical consent; these laws establish the
Security card is provided to assist in cases when a student may need circumstances under which a minor may
the card for purposes other than school enrollment.
Supporting the Education of Unaccompanied Homeless Students 8
consent to his or her own medical or mental
health care NAEHCY Higher Education Helpline
• Become familiar with eligibility criteria for
local social service and housing programs;
The National Association for the Education of
be ready to refer eligible unaccompanied
Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY)
homeless youth when services are needed
operates a higher education helpline to provide
assistance with issues related to students
• Consider alternative education programs
experiencing homelessness accessing higher
that allow flexible school hours, such
education. For more information, visit http://
as computer-based learning or online
www.naehcy.org/educational-resources/helpline, or
education, or have paid work components
contact the helpline at [phone] (toll-free)
for youth who need to work to support
or [email protected].
themselves
• Notify school nutrition services when an
unaccompanied homeless youth enrolls;
homeless students are automatically eligible income and assets when their aid package is
for free school meals and do not need to calculated
follow the normal program enrollment
• Various need- and merit-based scholarship
process; for more information, download
opportunities
NCHE’s Access to Food for Homeless and
Highly Mobile Students brief at http://center. Fore more information about higher education
serve.org/nche/briefs.php. supports for homeless students, visit NCHE’s
Higher Education Access webpage at http://
center.serve.org/nche/ibt/higher_ed.php or
Access to Higher Education
download NAEHCY’s College Access and Success
for Students Experiencing Homelessness: A Toolkit
Many unaccompanied homeless youth want for Educators and Service Providers at http://www.
to continue on to higher education after naehcy.org/educational-resources/he-toolkit.
high school graduation, but lack important
information to help them accomplish this.
School-Community Collaboration to
Local liaisons play a key role in ensuring that
Support Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
unaccompanied homeless youth are aware of
postsecondary education opportunities and
have the information and support they need to
The needs of unaccompanied homeless youth cut
enroll and succeed in higher education. Local
across many school programs and community
liaisons should work with school counselors to
organizations. Collaboration among programs
ensure that homeless students are aware of the
and organizations ensures better identification
following supports:
of these youth and a coordinated approach to
addressing their needs. In addition, collaboration
• Fee waivers for Advanced Placement (AP)
creates more awareness of homeless education
exams, college entrance exams (ACT and/or
issues and community commitment to serving
SAT), and college applications
these vulnerable youth.
• Independent student status for
unaccompanied homeless youth on the Following are strategies to build strong networks
Free Application for Federal Student Aid among schools programs and with community
(FAFSA); independent students can apply organizations:
for financial aid without a parent signature
• Provide awareness activities for school
and without consideration of parental
Supporting the Education of Unaccompanied Homeless Students 9
staff (registrars, secretaries, counselors, interventions, offers non-sectarian and non-
social workers, nurses, teachers, bus drivers, judgmental support, respects confidentiality,
administrators, truancy and attendance collaborates with volunteers, and responds
officers, security officers, etc.) about the to at-risk youth and their families through
specific needs of homeless youth their 24-hour hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY.
• Develop relationships with staff from • National Safe Place (Safe Place)
dropout prevention programs, housing http://www.nationalsafeplace.org/
programs, youth shelters, law enforcement, Safe Place is a national youth outreach
and community agencies; ask them to be program that educates young people about
your “eyes and ears” in the community the dangers of running away or trying to
to support school efforts to reach resolve difficult and/or threatening situations
unaccompanied homeless youth on their own. Safe Place brings communities
together to provide safe havens and resources
• Connect with Runaway and Homeless
for youth in crisis by creating a network
Youth Act (RHYA) sites in your
of Safe Place locations - schools, fire
area. NCHE recommends that State
stations, libraries, grocery and convenience
Coordinators and local liaisons provide
stores, public transit, YMCAs, and other
training on the educational rights of
appropriate public buildings - that display
students experiencing homelessness to
the yellow and black diamond-shaped Safe
RHYA staff members at least once a year.
Place sign.
See the Additional Resources section of this
brief for more information about RHYA • Runaway and Homeless Youth Act
Programs, including a webpage for accessing (RHYA) Programs
the contact information of grantees in your http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/fysb/
area. grants/fysb-grantees
RHYA Programs supports street outreach,
• Initiate a community task force to address
emergency shelters, longer-term transitional
the needs of unaccompanied homeless
living, and maternity group home programs
youth, including housing, food, health, and
to serve and protect runaway and homeless
safety; for more information about youth
youth.
task forces, visit http://www.naehcy.org/
legislation-and-policy/youth-task-forces • United States Interagency Council on
Homelessness (USICH) Framework to
• Involve youth in awareness trainings and
End Youth Homelessness
task forces so that they can articulate their
http://www.usich.gov/population/
needs and share their experiences
youth/a_framework_for_ending_youth_
homelessness_2012/
Additional Resources Learn more about this framework, which
includes strategies to be implemented to
improve education for homeless children
The following national resources can help with and youth, and steps to take to advance the
services related to housing, mental health, or goal of ending youth homelessness by 2020.
family conflict.
• The National Runaway Safeline (NRS)
http://www.1800runaway.org/
NRS serves as the federally designated
national communication system for
runaway and homeless youth. NRS
provides education and solution-focused
Supporting the Education of Unaccompanied Homeless Students 10