Liaison Requirements

One of the most important responsibilities of the homeless liaison is ensuring that students experiencing homelessness are identified and enrolled in school without delay. Identification is an ongoing process that requires collaboration with school personnel, community agencies, and families. Because many families do not identify themselves as homeless, districts must establish procedures to proactively identify students who may qualify for services under the McKinney-Vento Act. Once identified, students must be enrolled immediately, even when records normally required for enrollment are unavailable.

Responsibilities and Best Practices Include:

• Developing and implementing processes and procedures to identify students experiencing homelessness

• Utilizing a residency questionnaire during enrollment

• Reviewing attendance data regularly to identify patterns that may indicate housing instability

• Conducting outreach and collaborating with school staff and community agencies

• Reviewing potential indicators of homelessness and following up when concerns arise

• Training staff to recognize the red flags of homelessness and understand referral procedures

• Ensuring immediate enrollment regardless of missing records

• Assisting with obtaining educational, medical, and immunization records after enrollment

• Removing barriers that may prevent students from enrolling or attending school

• Supporting students' full participation in school programs and activities

Identification and enrollment practices should be reviewed regularly to ensure students are not being overlooked. Districts that rely solely on enrollment forms or self-identification often miss students who would otherwise qualify for services and protections under the McKinney-Vento Act.

Students experiencing homelessness must be provided with a full and equal opportunity to succeed in school. Housing instability should never prevent a student from accessing educational opportunities or participating in school programs. The homeless liaison helps ensure that students are connected to the programs and services necessary to support academic success and educational stability.

Responsibilities and Best Practices Include:

• Assisting families in understanding available educational opportunities

• Connecting eligible children with early childhood resources such as Head Start, Pre-K Counts, or the Early Childhood Resource Centers, and assisting with referrals to early intervention services under Part C of IDEA

• Collaborating with special education staff to support eligible K-12 students

• Coordinating with Title I personnel regarding available services and supports

• Supporting access to gifted education, career and technical education, and extracurricular programs

• Providing access to tutoring and other educational services

• Monitoring participation and addressing barriers that limit access to services

• Providing access to supportive services such as mentoring or mental health programs

• Supporting post-secondary readiness and transition, and ensuring unaccompanied youth understand their status as independent students for FAFSA purposes 

Access to educational services should be viewed as an ongoing process rather than a one-time referral. Liaisons should periodically review whether students are successfully accessing the supports and opportunities available to them.

Students experiencing homelessness often face challenges that extend beyond the educational setting. Housing instability may often be the symptom of much larger ongoing concerns. Other areas impacted may be access to healthcare and mental health services, food, transportation, and other basic necessities that directly impact attendance and academic success. While homeless liaisons are not expected to provide these services directly, they play an important role in connecting students and families with available community resources to assist in removing as many barriers as possible for student success.

Responsibilities and Best Practices Include:

• Maintaining current information regarding local resources and service providers by utilizing sources such as 211 and the Finding Your Way in PA app

• Referring families to healthcare, dental, vision, and mental health services

• Connecting and coordinating with housing and food services for families by working with your local Homeless Coalition:

  • 1. Berks Coalition to End Homelessness 

    2. Capital Area Coalition on Homelessness  

    3. Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness

    4. Lancaster County Housing & Redevelopment Authorities 

    5. Lebanon County Coalition to End Homelessness  

    6. Schuylkill Community Action   

• Assisting families in accessing food, clothing, hygiene items, and other necessities through community and district supports, such as a student resource closet 

• Building relationships with community agencies and nonprofit organizations

• Identifying service gaps and developing partnerships to address unmet needs

Strong community partnerships can significantly enhance a district's ability to support students experiencing homelessness and reduce barriers that interfere with school success.

Parents, guardians, and unaccompanied youth cannot effectively exercise their rights if they do not understand them. When students are identified, they must be informed of their rights. The homeless liaison serves as a resource by helping families and youth understand available educational opportunities and navigate decisions related to school enrollment, placement, transportation, and services.

Families experiencing homelessness may feel disconnected from the school community or uncertain about available supports. Building trust and maintaining communication are essential components of effective liaison work.

Responsibilities and Best Practices Include:

• Informing families and youth of their rights under the McKinney-Vento Act

• Explaining eligibility, enrollment, school selection, transportation, and available services

• Conducting discussions with families and students in a private setting using a trauma-informed approach

• Providing information in a manner that is understandable and accessible, using translation services when needed

• Encouraging meaningful family participation in educational planning and decision-making

• Ensuring all barriers are removed for family involvement in the educational process

• Maintaining ongoing communication throughout the school year

• Ensuring confidentiality when discussing housing circumstances

Meaningful family engagement helps ensure that educational decisions are made collaboratively and in the student's best interest.

The McKinney-Vento Act requires districts to disseminate public notice regarding the educational rights of students experiencing homelessness. Public awareness efforts increase the likelihood that students and families will be identified and connected with available resources. They also help school personnel and community organizations understand their role in supporting students experiencing homelessness.

Responsibilities and Best Practices Include:

• Posting required notices in schools and community locations

• Ensuring information is understandable and accessible to families and youth

• Providing outreach materials to community agencies and service providers

• Increasing staff awareness regarding McKinney-Vento rights and protections

• Participating in community events and collaborative initiatives when appropriate

Required notices should be posted in locations frequented by families and youth experiencing homelessness, including schools, shelters, libraries, food pantries, and other community-based locations.

Transportation is often the key factor that allows students experiencing homelessness to maintain school stability. Without transportation, many students would be forced to change schools or experience attendance interruptions. Homeless liaisons play a critical role in ensuring that families and youth understand transportation rights and have access to available services.

Responsibilities and Best Practices Include:

• Informing parents, guardians, and unaccompanied youth of transportation rights

• Assisting with transportation requests

• Collaborating with transportation departments and neighboring districts

• Addressing transportation barriers that affect attendance

• Utilizing creative transportation solutions when needed such as:

• Public transportation

• Contracting with a private transportation company

• Collaborate with districts beyond just the district of residence

• Develop transportation hubs or pick up points

• Reimbursing the parent for transportation

• Implementing a transportation arrangement and ensure they remain effective

For more information, see the Transportation section.

Disagreements occasionally arise regarding eligibility, enrollment, school selection, transportation, or access to services. The McKinney-Vento Act requires states to establish procedures for resolving disputes while protecting the educational rights of students. The homeless liaison plays a central role in ensuring families and youth understand the dispute process and continue receiving services while disputes are being resolved.

Responsibilities and Best Practices Include:

• Explaining district decisions to families and youth

• Providing procedural safeguards and dispute information

• Assisting throughout the dispute process

• Consulting with the Region 2 ECYEH Office

• Ensuring students remain enrolled and receive services during disputes

• Maintaining documentation related to disputed decisions

The  Pennsylvania Department of Education dispute procedures are discussed in detail in the Dispute Resolution section. 

Unaccompanied homeless youth (UHY) often face unique educational barriers because they are not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian. In addition to housing instability, these students may lack adult support when navigating school enrollment, transportation, academic planning, financial aid, healthcare, and other systems. The homeless liaison plays a critical role in ensuring that UHY understand their rights and receive the support necessary to remain engaged in school and successfully transition to postsecondary education or employment.

Responsibilities and Best Practices Include:

• Training district personnel in the red flags and rights of UHY 

  • (Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Quick Reference & Tips Guides)

• Creating UHY policies and procedures to remove barriers to enrollment and retention

• Ensuring immediate enrollment without a parent or guardian 

• Informing youth of their educational rights 

• Supporting school selection decisions based on the UHY's wishes 

• Assisting in accessing educational programs and services 

• Supporting postsecondary planning and FAFSA verification 

• Removing barriers to school attendance, engagement, and graduation

Many unaccompanied homeless youth remain unidentified because they do not view themselves as homeless or are hesitant to disclose their living situation. Building trusting relationships and creating opportunities for private conversations can improve identification and engagement.

Compliance with the McKinney-Vento Act requires more than responding to individual student situations as they arise. Effective homeless liaisons develop systems and procedures that support identification, enrollment, school stability, and access to services across the district. A strong McKinney-Vento program helps ensure that students experiencing homelessness are identified early, receive consistent support, and encounter fewer barriers to educational success.

Identification Systems

Districts should establish multiple methods for identifying potentially eligible students throughout the school year.

Examples include:

• Residency questionnaires during enrollment

• Staff referral procedures

• Attendance and truancy reviews

• Collaboration with school counselors, nurses, social workers, and SAP teams

• Partnerships with shelters and community agencies

• Outreach materials for families and youth

Written Procedures

Districts should develop written procedures to ensure consistent implementation of McKinney-Vento requirements.

Procedures may address:

• Identification of school-age and preschool-age children experiencing homelessness

• Eligibility determinations

• Immediate enrollment

• School selection and best interest determinations

• Transportation coordination

• Unaccompanied youth procedures

• Supporting the needs of students with IEPs

• Dispute resolution

• Recordkeeping and documentation

Internal Staff Training

School personnel are often the first individuals to recognize signs of housing instability. Providing ongoing training and support helps ensure students are identified and connected with services as quickly as possible.

Key partners often include:

• Enrollment and attendance staff

• Building administrators

• School counselors and social workers

• Transportation departments

• Special education staff

• Title I staff

• School nurses

• Career and technical education staff

Responsibilities and best practices include:

• Providing professional development to district staff to increase awareness of McKinney-Vento requirements

• Distributing PDE’s Homeless Education BEC to staff yearly

• Assisting staff with eligibility, enrollment, transportation, and school selection questions 

• Using the Region 2 resources for training techniques, ECYEH training videos and to request a training 

• Promoting practices that improve identification and service delivery 

Ongoing staff training is one of the most effective strategies for increasing identification and reducing barriers. Developing an annual training plan is the best way to ensure all staff are fully knowledgeable about the McKinney-Vento Act. 

Collaboration and Coordination Beyond the School District

The homeless liaison cannot carry out the responsibilities of the position alone. Effective implementation requires collaboration both within the district and throughout the community.

Responsibilities include:

• Collaborating with the Region 2 ECYEH Office, including maintaining a Letter of Agreement

• Coordinating with district departments and building-level staff 

• Collaborating with community agencies, service providers, early childhood programs, and higher education, among others  

• Working with neighboring districts regarding transportation and school stability by using the  PA ECYEH Directory for contact information

• Participating in regional and statewide ECYEH activities 

• Maintaining required agreements and documentation for monitoring purposes 

Strong collaboration helps ensure students experience a coordinated and consistent system of support.

Program Evaluation and Continuous Improvement

Effective programs should be reviewed periodically to identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.

Questions to consider include:

• Are students being identified consistently?

• Are attendance and mobility concerns being addressed?

• Are transportation procedures functioning effectively?

• Are unaccompanied youth being identified?

• Are staff aware of referral procedures?

• Are community partnerships meeting student needs?

Regular evaluation using an assessment tool helps districts move beyond compliance and toward continuous improvement.

Successful implementation of the McKinney-Vento Act requires accurate data collection, careful documentation, protection of student privacy, and ongoing monitoring of district practices. Accurate data helps districts evaluate program effectiveness, identify trends, monitor identification efforts, and meet state and federal reporting requirements.

Responsibilities and Best Practices Include:

• Maintaining reliable, valid, and comprehensive records regarding identified students

• Reporting data in accordance with state and federal requirements by utilizing the ECYEH Reporting App User Guide and the ECYEH Data site. 

• Reaching out to ECYEH Data Support for assistance

• Ensuring all students experiencing homelessness are identified, including birth to five-year-olds and out-of-school youth

• Monitoring trends that may indicate under-identification

• Maintaining documentation related to eligibility, transportation, disputes, and services

• Protecting student/ family confidentiality and limiting disclosure of housing information to staff with a legitimate educational interest

• Ensuring compliance with FERPA and other applicable privacy requirements

Housing information should be treated as sensitive student information. Maintaining confidentiality helps build trust with families and youth and encourages disclosure of housing circumstances when support is needed.

• District Homeless Liaison Responsibilities

• Building-level Liaison Responsibilities

• Sample Homeless Liaison Job Description (Digital, PDF)

• Sample Homeless Liaison Job Description (Printable, PDF)