McKinney Vento

What is McKinney Vento?

Homeless children have access to the education and other services that they need to ensure that they have an opportunity to meet the same challenging State student academic achievement standards to which all students are held.

The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children and youth as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. The term includes Children who are:

• sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason;

• living in motels, hotels, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations;

• living in emergency or transitional shelters;

• abandoned in hospitals;

• awaiting foster care placement;

• Children and youth who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings; or

• Children and youth who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings.

It is crucial that we are able to accurately identify our students in these scenarios in order to offer supports which include but are not limited to enrollment support, transportation, food, clothing, technology assistance (including devices and internet), academic support, and staff support.

Whether you believe you would be categorized as homeless or not, if you need assistance, please contact Redwood High School Social Worker, Noa Mandel, at 510.537.3193 ext 7554 or the Castro Valley Unified School District Homeless and Foster Youth Liaison, Nic McMaster, at 510.537.3000 ext 1257.