Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program

This program serves homeless children and youth as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. These students are referred to as outreach students. This program ensures that each homeless child and youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education as other children and youth.

Homeless children and youth will have access to educational and other services that they need to enable them to meet the same challenging State student academic achievement standards to which all students are held. In addition, they receive tutoring, school supplies, and personal hygiene supplies. Other agencies also work with the school system to ensure that these children are getting the services they need.

When these students enter the schools for enrollment purposes, the principals/counselors contact the central office for guidance. Discussions are held throughout the year with principals and counselors concerning enrollment procedures and services for outreach students.

Program goals:

• To establish a cooperative program which will provide a safe quality child care for homeless pre-school children referred from established community-based homeless agencies to help families break the cycle of homelessness and to meet the particular physical, emotional, and developmental needs of these children in a time of crisis.
• To assure that homeless children and youth are given an opportunity to receive an education commensurate with that of children and youth that are not homeless.
• To assist as many homeless children and youth as possible in receiving counseling due to circumstances that caused them to become homeless or feel emotionally, educationally, and economically deprived.
• To provide tutoring assistance to maintain or possibly raise students' present achievement levels.
• To build for parents a cooperative and supportive program that will be designed to facilitate all areas of growth for homeless children and youth.
• Ensure access to school and other appropriate services.
• Reduce school transfers and enhance educational stability and continuity.
• Strengthen parental choice and involvement.
• Ensure educational rights of unaccompanied youth.