NYS-TEACHS
at Advocates for Children
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Unaccompanied Youth
An unaccompanied youth is a student who is not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian; this includes youth who have run away from home, have been kicked out of their homes, or have been abandoned by parents. Click the links below to learn more about unaccompanied youth. There is no age restriction for unaccompanied youth, but these students are most often adolescents. Such students are covered under the McKinney-Vento Act when the student also lacks a fixed, adequate and regular nighttime residence - click here. Without a parent or guardian to advocate on behalf of unaccompanied youth, these students may not understand their educational rights or know how to acquire this information. Click on the links below to learn more about unaccompanied youth.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Get answers to commonly asked questions about unaccompanied youth.
Resources
Unaccompanied Youth Issue Brief [PDF]
Find basic information about the rights of unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness, and learn what LEA liaisons can do to assist these students.
New York State Youth Bureaus
Get a list of all of the New York State Youth Bureaus, as well as contact information Youth Bureaus, listed by county.
Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) Program Directory
Get a list of all of the New York State RHY Service Coordinators, as well as contact information for RHY programs and agencies, listed by county.
Providing Effective Financial Aid Assistance to Students from Foster Care and Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
This guide provides information for anyone who helps youth from foster care and unaccompanied homeless youth to secure financial aid for postsecondary education or training programs.
Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth and Homelessness
According to a recent report by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in collaboration with the National Coalition for the Homeless, research suggests that a disproportionate number of LGBTQ youth report being homeless: Between 20 percent and 40 percent of all homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBTQ), while only 3-5 percent of the U.S. population identifies as LGBTQ.
Designate School and Medical Powers to Caregivers [Word doc]
The section of the New York State General Obligations Law, "Designation of Person in Parental Relation," creates a limited parental power of attorney by legalizing the practice of parents writing notes to schools or to medical providers to allow others to assume responsibility for their children. This law describes how to designate a person in parental relation, who can be designated, and what parental powers can be designated to the person in parental relation.
Runaway and Homeless Youth and Relationship Violence Toolkit
This Toolkit was developed by and for advocates in the runaway and homeless youth (RHY) and domestic and sexual assault (DV/SA) fields to help programs better address relationship violence with runaway and homeless youth. The Toolkit organizes information, resources, tips and tools drawn from the lessons learned by collaborative projects funded by the Family and Youth Services Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Why They Run: An In-Depth Look at America's Runaway Youth (May 2010)
This report and its accompanying resources from the National Runaway Switchboard provides new research that sheds light on the runaway problem in America and begins to fill in the gaps of what is already known and what can be done to prevent young people from running away.
Runaway and Homeless Youth Annual Report 2008 [PDF]
Data from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) on OCFS-funded programs that serve runaway and homeless youth. The report includes information from 62 program respondents in 28 counties and New York City.
Forms
Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) Transportation Reimbursement Form [PDF]
Youth who are temporarily living in Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) shelters and who attend their school of origin in a different district from the shelter must receive free transportation to school. The RHY shelter where the student is residing should provide transportation to school for the student. The shelter will be fully reimbursed for the expense by NYSED. If the RHY shelter is unwilling or unable to provide transportation, the school district of origin must provide transportation and will be eligible for full reimbursement by NYSED. To arrange reimbursement, school districts should submit this form to: Nancy Chacoa, NYSED, P.O. Box 7256, Albany, NY 12224. With the completed form, include a cover letter with:
Designation of Person in Parental Relation Form [Word doc]
If a parent is unable to make education or health-related decisions for a child, he or she may temporarily designate another person to make those decisions on behalf of the student. The person who takes on this responsibility is called the "designee" or the "person in parental relation" to the child. The parent can limit the decision-making authority of a person in parental relation to a certain time period or certain types of decisions, as long as these limitations are noted in the agreement.
Caregiver Authorization Form [PDF]
School districts may develop a caregiver form that establishes the responsibilities of caregivers and requests caregivers' contact information in place of traditional proof of guardianship for unaccompanied youth. This form should be carefully created to avoid barriers to a student's full participation in school.
Laws and Guidance
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act [PDF]
Unaccompanied youth are included under the protection of the McKinney-Vento Act when they also lack a fixed, regular and adequate night time residence, as set forth in in Section 725(2) &(6).
New York State Education Law Section 3209 [Word doc]
McKinney's Consolidated Laws of New York—Designation of Person in Parental Relation [Word doc]
This law addresses parents' power to designate a "person in parental relation" to a child.
Financial Aid for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
The U.S. Department of Education's "Application and Verification Guide" (AVG) [PDF] provides instructions and guidance to financial aid administrators and counselors who help students fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The 2010-11 edition contains important new information regarding unaccompanied homeless youth (pages 28-30). A summary [DOC] of the unaccompanied homeless youth provisions is available on NAEHCY's web site.