Homeless Services

The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children as "individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence." The act provides examples of children who would fall under this definition:

• Children and youth sharing housing due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason
• Children and youth living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camp grounds due to lack of alternative accommodations
• Children and youth living in emergency or transitional shelters
• Children and youth abandoned in hospitals
• Children and youth whose primary nighttime residence is not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation (e.g. park benches, etc)
• Children and youth living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations
• Migratory children and youth living in any of the above situations

Under the McKin​ney-Vento Act, students:

• Receive a free public education
• May enroll in school immediately, even if they lack documents normally required for enrollment
• Attend classes while the school gathers missing documents
• Enroll in the school closest to the or the school they were last enrolled in (school of origin), even if the child has been forced to relocate
• Receive transportation to and from the school of origin
• Receive all the same educational services other students receive, even if the child can't pay
• Participate in before and after school programs
• Receive counseling
• Receive free breakfast and lunch
• Participate in special education, bilingual vocational and gifted programs if qualified
• Receive school supplies
• Receive extra academic support through Title I funding
• Receive evaluation for any disabilities

How To Qualify For Services: 

1. Talk to your school counselor. The counselor will complete an intake form which will identify your child's needs and any community resources available to them.
2. Complete the housing questionnaire (links are below).
3. Contact the district's McKinney-Vento liaison. Robert Sorensen, Executive Director of Behavioral Health at Robert.Sorensen@rsd.edu for any additional assistance.