Enrolling Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness in School

This NCHE brief explains the key provisions in the McKinney- Vento Act related to the school enrollment of students in homeless situations, including sections on enrollment barriers, immediate enrollment, school selection, and full participation in school. Each section also offers strategies for State Coordinators for Homeless Education, local homeless education liaisons, and school personnel to ensure the successful implementation of key provisions, so that students experiencing homelessness are enrolled in school immediately and connected to needed services.
Download Enrolling Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness in School.

This handy foldout booklet assists local homeless education liaisons and enrollment personnel in understanding the legal guidelines for the immediate school enrollment of children and youth experiencing homelessness. It explains the provisions of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act related to enrollment and suggests strategies for implementing enrollment procedures that comply with federal law. Its compact size and foldout format make it a great desktop reference.
Order the enrollment foldout.

This brief is designed for local homeless education liaisons and discusses how to handle confidential information about students experiencing homelessness. This is especially important for homeless students at risk of further victimization, such as survivors of domestic violence and unaccompanied youth.
Download Immediate Enrollment Under McKinney-Vento: How Local Liaisons Can Keep Homeless Students Safe.

This brief is designed for school staff and administrators and discusses how to handle confidential information about students experiencing homelessness. This is especially important for homeless students at risk of further victimization, such as survivors of domestic violence and unaccompanied youth.
Download Immediate Enrollment Under McKinney-Vento: How Schools Can Keep Homeless Students Safe.

This memorandum from Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former U.S. Surgeon General, reinforces the importance and logic of the immediate enrollment provision of the McKinney-Vento Act, even when the enrolling student lacks immunization records.
Download the Statement on Immunization Records.

This form is used by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to enroll students eligible for McKinney-Vento rights and services. The form details the nighttime living arrangement of the student, documents the student’s educational background, requests information about current student needs, and provides a checklist for staff to ensure that all necessary steps have been taken to meet the student’s needs and to perform administrative responsibilities related to enrollment.
Download the McKinney-Vento Intake Affidavit.

See Section J: Homeless Students of Cobb County School District’s Board Policies and Administrative Rules for a variety of forms related to enrolling and educating children and youth experiencing homelessness, including:

• Information on the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
• Procedure for Free Lunch
• Procedure For Transportation to School of Origin
• School of Origin Request
• Student Residency Statement
• Written Notification Form
  Forms are available in multiple languages, including English, Arabic, Portuguese, and Spanish.
  Visit the Cobb County School District (Atlanta, GA): Administrative Forms webpage.

This one-page questionnaire is used by the District School Board of Pasco County to determine eligibility for services under Title I, Part A, Title I, Part C-Migrant, or Title X, Part C-McKinney-Vento. Other districts may use this form as a guide for developing their own domicile questionnaires.
Download the questionnaire.

This memorandum from the New York State Education Department provides clarification regarding the use of shared housing and proof of residency affidavits for students seeking enrollment under the McKinney-Vento Act. Among other issues, the memorandum affirms that the use of such affidavits may constitute an educational barrier for students experiencing homelessness; as such, these affidavits may not be required as proof of residency for enrollment or continued enrollment. The memorandum also recommends that school districts throughout the state include a residency questionnaire/enrollment form as the first page of their registration packet to ensure that homeless students are identified at the earliest point in the registration process and will not be required to complete or submit other forms or affidavits as a condition for enrollment or continued enrollment.
Download the McKinney-Vento Guidance Regarding Shared Housing Affidavit.