In 1987, Congress passed the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, (subsequently renamed the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act) to aid homeless persons. The Act defines the term “homeless children and youths” as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
A student may qualify for certain rights and protections under the federal McKinney-Vento Act if he/she is living in any of the following situations:
- A shelter
- A motel or campground due to the lack of an alternative adequate accommodation
- A car, park, or abandoned building
- Doubled up with other people due to loss of housing or economic hardship
Eligible students have the right to:
- Receive a free, appropriate public education
- Enroll in school immediately, even if lacking documents normally required for enrollment
- Enroll in the local school or continue attending the school of origin
- Receive transportation to and from the school of origin
- Receive educational services comparable to those provided to other students