McKinney Vento: Plan for serving McKinney eligible children and families
Rhodes School has devised the following plan to effectively and efficiently serve McKinney Vento eligible children and families. The name and contact information for the McKinney-Vento liaison at Rhodes School is:
Taylor Patete
Social Worker, McKinney-Vento Education Liaison
408-453-6813 x313
tpatete@rhodes.k12.il.us
According to ISBE, the McKinney-Vento Act defines “homeless children and youth” as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. The term includes:
Children and youth who are: sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason (sometimes referred to as doubled-up); living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations; living in emergency or transitional shelters; abandoned in hospitals; or 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.
Children and youth who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings.
Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are living in circumstances described above.
This plan describes the responsibilities of Rhodes School and Rhodes School’s staff.
1. School District:
Insure that school forms, brochures, websites, and handbooks reflect accurate information about homelessness and residency rights.
Train all staff, board members, administrators, and staff responsible for school enrollment on Illinois and federal residency and homeless laws.
Insure that the homeless liaison is involved any time a child’s homelessness is questioned.
Enroll children experiencing homelessness, regardless of the parent or guardian’s ability to produce records.
Collaborate with local free and low-cost legal services programs to insure that school district personnel are educated and that parents are provided with assistance. ∙ Discuss transportation plan to and from school.
2. Rhodes School’s McKinney-Vento Liaison:
Review the definition of homelessness and the rights of children and their families experiencing homelessness.
Train and provide information to enrollment staff and teaching staff regarding how to identify and serve the children experiencing homelessness.
Work with children and families during the enrollment process as needed.