Homelessness

Annual Notice - Homeless Children and Youth

The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children and youth as:

• Children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and includes children and youth who are:

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

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

• living in emergency or transitional shelters

• abandoned in hospitals

• living in 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

• living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and

• migratory children who qualify as homeless because the children are living in circumstances described above

If you are personally aware of or are acquainted with any children or youth who may qualify according to the above criteria, the Waterloo School District provides the following assurances to parents and guardians of homeless children and youth and unaccompanied homeless youth:

• The child or youth shall be immediately enrolled and allowed to fully participate in school, even if unable to produce records normally required for enrollment (e.g., academic records, immunization and other required health records, proof of residency, or other documentation) or has missed application or enrollment deadlines during any period of homelessness.

• Homeless children and youths are not stigmatized or segregated on the basis of their status as homeless and have full and equal educational and related opportunities.

• Meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children including special notices of events, parent-teacher conferences, newsletters, and access to student records.

• Immediate enrollment and transportation to the school of origin. "School of origin" means the school that a child or youth attended when permanently housed or the school in which the child or youth was last enrolled, including a preschool.

• Written explanation of any decisions related to school selection or enrollment made by the school, the local educational agency, or the State educational agency involved, including the rights of the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth to appeal and receive prompt resolution of such decisions.

Please contact Kathleen Ayala, School Social Worker/homelessness liaison for the Johnson Creek School District at 920-541-4800 ext 3212 or ayalak@johnsoncreekschools.org for additional information about the rights and services described above.