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RESOURCE LIBRARY

Choose from the wide range of topics listed below to learn the corresponding educational rights of children and youth experiencing homelessness.

Jump to a topic:

Attendance Improvement
Awareness Materials
Charter Schools
Data & Statistics on Homelessness
Determining Eligibility 
Disaster & Emergency Response
Dispute Resolution/Appeal Process                                        Domestic Violence
Early Childhood Education  
Enrollment & School Selection
Federal Law  
Foster Care
Free Meals   
Higher Education & Postsecondary Opportunities
Immigrant Students 
Immunizations
McKinney-Vento Grant Program  
McKinney-Vento Liaisons
NYS Education Dept. Laws & Guidance   
NYS-TEACHS Publications
Privacy of Student Records 
Research on Homeless Education
Special Education    
STAC 202
Summer School    
Teaching Strategies to Reach Highly Mobile Students
Title I     
Transportation
Trauma Sensitive Strategies for School Success 
Unaccompanied Youth

CHARTER SCHOOLS

Charter schools, like school districts, must appoint a McKinney-Vento liaison to identify students in temporary housing, help them enroll in school, and arrange for transportation and other needed services.

DATA AND STATISTICS ON HOMELESSNESS

Datasets currently include: identification of homeless students, identification of sub-populations of homeless students, and assessment achievement rates.

ATTENDANCE IMPROVEMENT

Designed for professional and family use, these resources provide guidance in addressing chronic absenteeism and improving attendance.

AWARENESS MATERIALS

Awareness materials can help to inform, train, and discuss the McKinney-Vento Act and homeless education with school personnel and social service providers.

DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY FOR MCKINNEY-VENTO

Under McKinney-Vento and state law, students are considered to be in temporary housing if their nighttime residence is not fixed, regular, and adequate.

DISASTER AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE

The public education of students in temporary housing, including those who are temporarily displaced due to disaster, are protected under the federal legislation of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act.

Fire Hoses
Attendance
Data
Detemining Eligibility
Legal Handshake

DISPUTE RESOLUTION & APPEAL PROCESS

Refer to these resources for guidance if a family or student in temporary housing disagrees with the school district on the student's McKinney-Vento eligibility for enrollment, school selection options, or transportation.

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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

These resources can help ensure the safety of students impacted by domestic violence.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

McKinney-Vento liaisons are responsible for connecting young children with early care and education programs including Head Start, Early Head Start, Pre-K, Early Intervention, and preschool special education services.

Babies in Playroom

ENROLLMENT AND SCHOOL SELECTION

he federal McKinney-Vento Act and New York Education Law § 3209, provide important school selection and enrollment protections to students in temporary housing from the preschool level to grade 12. 

School Hallway
Court

FEDERAL LAW

The federal McKinney-Vento Act and New York Education Law § 3209, provide important school selection and enrollment protections to students in temporary housing from the preschool level to grade 12. 

Boys with toys

FOSTER CARE

Children and youth in foster care are not McKinney-Vento eligible, but many continue enrollment and receive transportation to their school of origin.

FREE MEALS

Studies show that good nutrition stimulates positive school outcomes. Students in temporary housing are always eligible to receive free meals, otherwise known as "Categorical Eligibility."

Lunch Time

HIGHER EDUCATION & POST SECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES

Students experiencing homelessness greatly increase their chances of escaping poverty by receiving a higher education. Programs available through the Higher Education Act help students to graduate high school, apply and enroll in college, and complete their higher education.

College Friends
Dispute Resolution
Early Childhood Education
Federal Law
Free Meals
Teenagers

IMMIGRANT STUDENTS

Immigrant students who experience homelessness are protected under the McKinney-Vento Act, regardless of their immigration status.

Vaccine

IMMUNIZATIONS

​Students experiencing homelessness are entitled to an immediate enrollment in school, even if immunization records or any other documentation typically required for enrollment is unavailable.

Immigrant Students

MCKINNEY-VENTO GRANT PROGRAM

Grant funding is available to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), including school districts, charter schools, and BOCES, through a competitive application process administered by the New York State Education Department (NYSED).

Modern Classroom

MCKINNEY-VENTO LIAISONS

All Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), which includes all school districts, charter schools, and BOCES, must designate an appropriate staff member to serve as the McKinney-Vento liaison to help students in temporary housing and their families.

Young Teacher
Justice Scale

NYS EDUCATION DEPT. LAWS & GUIDANCE

Although the McKinney-Vento Act is federal legislation, New York State laws clarify a number of federal protections. Read about important protections for New Yorkers. 

Stack of Magazines

NYS-TEACHS PUBLICATIONS

​Browse resources created by NYS-TEACHS.

MV Grant Program
NYS Ed Laws & Guidance

PRIVACY OF STUDENT RECORDS

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) provides important protections to ensure students and families can access their school records and keep them private.

Organized Files

RESEARCH ON HOMELESS EDUCATION

Access even more research and reports on various topics correlating with today’s homeless education.

Eyeglasses
Teacher Helping Student

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Special education offers specially designed instruction to meet the individual needs of a child with a learning disability, at no cost to parents. 

Student With Face Mask

STAC 202 (DESIGNATION FORM AND TUITION REIMBURSEMENT)

Read more about STAC.

SUMMER SCHOOL

Students in temporary housing, required to attend summer school to advance in grade level or to graduate on time, must be provided the opportunity to attend summer school free of charge. 

Teacher Assisting a Student

TEACHING STRATEGIES TO REACH HIGHLY MOBILE STUDENTS

Discover numerous strategies used by teachers to better educate highly mobile students.

Moving In
Family Using a Tablet

TITLE I

Students in temporary housing are categorically eligible for services under Title I, even if they do not attend a Title I school or match the academic standards required of other children for eligibility.

Children in School Bus

TRANSPORTATION

Under the McKinney-Vento Act and N.Y. Education Law § 3209, a student in temporary housing is entitled to transportation to their school of origin.

Privacy of Student Records
Special Education
Summer School
Title I

TRAUMA-SENSITIVE STRATEGIES FOR SCHOOL SUCCESS

Many students have additional needs that stem from chronic stress and trauma. Learn more about trauma-sensitive resources and research.

Hide and Seek

UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH

An unaccompanied youth is a student who is not in the physical custody of their parent or legal guardian; this includes young people who have run away from home, have been kicked out of their home, or have been abandoned by parents.

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Trauma Sensitive

NYSTEACHS.org

749 E 135 Street

Bronx, NY 10454

41 State Street, Suite 403

Albany, NY 12207

34 South Broadway, Suite 601

White Plains, NY 10601

We provide information, referrals, and trainings to schools, school districts, social service providers, parents, and others about the educational rights of children and youth experiencing homelessness in New York State. NYS-TEACHS is funded by the New York State Education Department.
 

Tel: 800.388.2014 | Fax: 212.807.6872 | info@nysteachs.org
 

If you are unable to access files on our site, please contact the team at NYS-TEACHS and we will provide you with the information in an alternative format.

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The New York State Technical and Educational Assistance Center for Homeless Students (NYSTEACHS.org) is operated by Measurement Incorporated under a contract with the New York State Education Department.

© 2025 NYS-TEACHS. All rights reserved.

The content of this website does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the
New York State Education Department. 

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