Region 7 - Resources

Find Help in Your County

Select your county below to find local resources for students and families, including housing, food, clothing, health care, mental health services, transportation, and other community supports.

Bradford • Carbon • Columbia • Lackawanna • Luzerne • Lycoming • Monroe • Montour • Northumberland • Pike • Snyder • Sullivan • Susquehanna • Tioga • Union • Wayne • Wyoming

Statewide/National Resources

How Do I? (FAQ)

Provides practical answers to common questions from students and families experiencing homelessness, including help with identification documents, benefits, health care, housing, school enrollment, transportation, and college financial aid.

Pennsylvania Resources

Pennsylvania Homeless Education - PDE
The Pennsylvania Department of Education's main ECYEH resource page, including state resources, program information, reports, guidance, and directories.

Pennsylvania ECYEH Program - State Resource Pennsylvania's statewide resource for the ECYEH program. Includes state guidance, resources and tools, directories and printables.

Pennsylvania Foster Care — Educational Stability Pennsylvania's statewide resource for educational stability for children and youth in foster care. Includes state guidance, resources and tools, training, and Point of Contact directories for schools and child welfare partners.

Education for Homeless Youth - Basic Education Circular (BEC)
Pennsylvania's official guidance addressing the educational rights, enrollment, school selection, and responsibilities associated with students experiencing homelessness.

Pennsylvania ECYEH Program Directory
Find Pennsylvania's regional ECYEH programs and contacts.

PA Regional Map

PA map of ECYEH regional model

School Foster Care Points of Contact Directory
Find the Foster Care Point of Contact for Pennsylvania school districts and other local education agencies.

County Children & Youth Education Liaison Directory
Find the education liaison/contact for Pennsylvania County Children and Youth Agencies.

Pennsylvania Foster Care Map & Coordinators View the PA Foster Care Regional Map and find your local regional coordinator

Higher Education Foster Care Points of Contact Directory
Find designated contacts at Pennsylvania colleges and universities who assist students with experience in foster care, including students who may qualify for Pennsylvania's Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver.

PDE Finding Your Way App PDE's web-based application that uses GPS to find local resources in your area such as transportation, housing, financial assistance, food and counseling.

Region 7 Student Homelessness Data
This section provides data on students experiencing homelessness within Pennsylvania’s Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH) Region 7. Region 7 serves 17 counties and approximately 85 local education agencies across northeastern and north-central Pennsylvania.

The data highlights trends in student homelessness across the region, including the number of students identified, their living situations, and other key information. These figures help illustrate the scope of student homelessness in Region 7 and the ongoing need for identification, support, and educational stability.

Child Accounting Guidelines for Reporting Homeless Students
PDE guidance explaining child accounting and reporting responsibilities for students experiencing homelessness. PDE currently lists this specifically within its Homeless Education resources.

Pennsylvania State ECYEH Poster

PDE issued poster for the ECYEH program.

Pennsylvania State ECYEH Poster (Spanish)

PDE issued poster for the ECYEH program.

National Resources

National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE)
The U.S. Department of Education’s national technical assistance center for homeless education, offering guidance, training, issue briefs, liaison resources, data, and practical tools for implementing McKinney-Vento.

U.S. Department of Education — Education for Homeless Children and Youths
Official federal information and resources for the Education for Homeless Children and Youths program and implementation of the McKinney-Vento Act.

SchoolHouse Connection
National resources and practical tools addressing homelessness from early childhood through postsecondary education, including resources for liaisons, schools, students, and families.

NAEHCY — National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
National professional resources, training, research, and support for educators and others working with children and youth experiencing homelessness and related vulnerable populations.

Early Childhood Resources

Early Childhood Guide Guidance for identifying and supporting young children experiencing homelessness, including connections to early learning programs and services.

Head Start & Early Head Start

Find a Head Start or Early Head Start Program

Use the official federal locator to find Head Start and Early Head Start programs by city or ZIP code, which is much better than us trying to maintain a list of individual programs across all 17 counties. Early Head Start serves pregnant women and families with children from birth to age 3, while Head Start provides preschool services for eligible children.

Head Start & Early Head Start Center Locator

Pennsylvania Head Start Information

Information for Pennsylvania families about Head Start, Early Head Start, eligibility, and locating a local Head Start grantee.

Pennsylvania Head Start

Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts

PA Pre-K Counts

Pennsylvania's state-funded prekindergarten program. The state page provides program information and the current list of PA Pre-K Counts providers.

Pennsylvania Preschool Programs & Pre-K Counts

Early Intervention

Pennsylvania Early Intervention

Early Intervention provides services to eligible children from birth to age 5 who have developmental delays or disabilities. Pennsylvania's statewide CONNECT service can connect a family with the appropriate local Early Intervention program.

CONNECT Helpline: 1-800-692-7288

Pennsylvania Early Intervention — Information & Referral

I especially like having this one on our site because a liaison doesn't need to figure out which county agency handles which age group—CONNECT can route the referral.

Child Care & Early Learning Resource Centers

Find Your Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC)

Pennsylvania's ELRCs help families locate quality child care, provide child care referrals, and administer the Child Care Works subsidized child care program. The state directory allows families to find the ELRC serving their county.

Find Your Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC)

Child Care Works

Pennsylvania's subsidized child care program helps eligible low-income families pay for child care. Applications are handled through the family's local ELRC or online through COMPASS.

Child Care Works — Information & Application

Homelessness & Early Childhood

Pennsylvania Guidance — Children Experiencing Homelessness

Pennsylvania OCDEL guidance addressing identification of young children experiencing homelessness and improving access to Early Intervention, Head Start/Early Head Start, Child Care Works, PA Pre-K Counts, and other early-childhood programs.

OCDEL — Children Experiencing Homelessness

Higher Education Resources

FAFSA & Students Experiencing Homelessness

FAFSA — Federal Student Aid
Official federal site for completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and obtaining information about federal grants, loans, work-study, and financial aid eligibility.

Complete the FAFSA — Federal Student Aid

The current FAFSA specifically addresses students who are unaccompanied and homeless or self-supporting and at risk of homelessness. Students with the appropriate determination can be treated as independent students for federal financial aid purposes.

FAFSA Homeless Youth Determination Letter — 2026–27
SchoolHouse Connection maintains a current 2026–27 determination letter specifically for students entering college between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027. This is worth linking because FAFSA forms and documentation can change from year to year.

2026–27 FAFSA Homeless Youth Determination Letter

Region 7 Verification & Transition Tools

Region 7 Homeless/Foster Care Verification Letter Template
A school-based template for documenting a student's homelessness, unaccompanied homeless youth, and/or foster care status when verification is requested for postsecondary education or financial aid purposes.

Higher Education & FAFSA Quick Reference
Guidance on higher-education access and FAFSA provisions affecting unaccompanied homeless youth and students experiencing homelessness.

College Transition Checklist
A practical checklist to help students experiencing homelessness prepare for the transition from high school to college or other postsecondary education.

Pennsylvania Financial Aid

Pennsylvania Financial Aid Resources
Pennsylvania provides information on FAFSA completion, state financial aid, the PA State Grant, and other resources for students planning for college.

Pennsylvania Financial Aid Resources

Students Who Have Experienced Foster Care

Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver Program (FosterEd)
Eligible Pennsylvania students who have experienced foster care can receive a waiver of remaining tuition and mandatory fees after other federal and state gift aid is applied. The program can apply for up to five academic years/10 semesters or until age 26, subject to eligibility requirements. Pennsylvania postsecondary institutions also have designated Points of Contact to assist eligible students.

PA Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver Program

Chafee Education and Training Grant (ETG)
Eligible current and former foster youth may receive assistance toward postsecondary education costs. Pennsylvania currently lists a maximum award of $5,000 per academic year, subject to available funding and other eligibility requirements.

Pennsylvania Chafee Education and Training Grant Information

Act 1 & Preparing for Graduation

Pennsylvania Act 1 of 2022
Act 1 provides protections intended to prevent lost credits and graduation barriers for students experiencing education instability, including students experiencing homelessness and students in foster care. That makes it particularly relevant when preparing students for postsecondary education.

Act 1 — Supporting Graduation for Students Experiencing Education Instability

Posters, Printables and Presentations

McKinney-Vento / Homeless Education

Region 7 McKinney-Vento One-Page Quick Guide
A one-page overview of McKinney-Vento eligibility, immediate enrollment, school stability, transportation, services, liaison support, and dispute rights.

Your Child’s Rights Under McKinney-Vento
A family-friendly handout explaining the educational rights and protections available to children and youth experiencing homelessness.

Region 7 ECYEH Poster
A printable Region 7 awareness poster explaining who may qualify for McKinney-Vento services and where students and families can find help.

Region 7 Letter of Agreement 2026-2027 Letter of agreement between LEAs and Region 7

McKinney-Vento 101 PowerPoint Overview of McKinney-Vento and the ECYEH program.

Act 1 of 2022 (Homeless) PDE created document on ACT 1 and McKinney-Vento.

Foster Care

Region 7 Foster Care One-Page Quick Guide A one-page overview of foster care protections, BID process, transportation and enrollment.

Act 1 of 2022 (Foster) PDE created document on ACT 1 and ESSA Foster Care.

Foster Care 101 PowerPoint Overview of ESSA Foster Care laws and the Region 7 program.

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