McKinney-Vento Homeless Education

Who qualifies for McKinney-Vento?

Any child or youth who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence including: 

• Those who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship,
• 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;* 
• Those who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings 
• Those who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and 
• Those identified by the Migrant Education Program (as defined in section 1309 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) who qualify as homeless because the children are living in circumstances described in the bullet points above

McKinney-Vento Liaisons

• Every school district has a designated McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Liaison responsible for identifying MKV students and providing resources to help these students.
• Refer to our list of liaisons to find the liaison in your district.

McKinney-Vento Liaison’s Roles and Responsibilities 

• The local liaison is the key to ensuring homeless children and youths receive the services they need.
• Required in all local education agencies regardless of subgrant status.
• The liaison is the primary contact between homeless families, school and local education agency/district staff, shelter workers, and other service providers. 
• In 42 U.S.C. § 11432(g)(6)(A), the McKinney-Vento Act lists the responsibilities of the local liaison including ensuring the protection of student and parent rights outlined under the law. 

Reference the Homeless Liaison Toolkit for more information (https://nche.ed.gov/homeless-liaison-toolkit/).