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Homeless Children - District's liaison and support
Homeless Children - District's liaison and support
The designated coordinator for the identification of homeless children and for tracking and monitoring programs and activities in the Central Springs School District is Sheila Mullen, who serves as PK-3 Elementary Counselor. She can be reached at 641.454.3283 ext. 2201 or smullen@centralsprings.net
CENTRAL SPRINGS COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Homeless Student Definitions and Rights
Federal Definition: McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
Homeless children and youths include:
Individuals who lack a fixed, regular, adequate nighttime residence;
Includes-
Children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; or are abandoned in hospitals;
Children and youths 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 youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
Migratory children who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this part because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (a, b, and c).
Iowa's Definition of a Homeless Child/Youth
A homeless child or youth ages 3-21;
A child who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence and includes the following:
A child who is sharing the housing of others (includes doubled-up families) due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; is living in a motel, hotel, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations; is living in an emergency or transitional shelter; is abandoned in a hospital
A child who has 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
A child who is living in a car, park, abandoned building, substandard housing, bus or train station, or similar setting; or
A migratory child/youth who qualifies as homeless because of the living circumstances described above
Includes youth who have run away or youth being forced to leave home.
Educational Rights of Homeless Children and Youth
Under the McKinney-Vento Act, children in homeless situations have the right to:
Go to school, no matter where they live or how long they have lived there;
Attend either the local school or the school of origin, if this is in their best interest; the school of origin is the school the child attended when he/she was permanently housed or the school in which the child was last enrolled;
Receive transportation to and from the school of origin;
Enroll in school immediately, even if missing records and documents normally required for enrollment such as a birth certificate, proof of residence, previous school records, or
immunization/medical records;
Enroll, attend classes, and participate fully in all school activities while the school arranges for transfer records;
Have access to the same programs and services that are available to all other students including transportation and supplemental educational services;
Have access to free school meals/lunch programs;
Attend school with children not experiencing homelessness; segregation based on a student’s status as homeless is prohibited
Additional Resources
Additional Resources
National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY)
Counseling Psychology/Organizations, Services, and Online Resources
Volunteer Organizations - Become involved!
Volunteer Organizations - Become involved!
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