McKinney-Vento Act

If you lost your housing and now live in a shelter, motel, vehicle, camping ground, or temporary trailer; on the street; doubled –up with family or friends; or in another type of temporary or inadequate housing, your child might be able to receive help through a federal law called the McKinney-Vento Act.

Under the McKinney-Vento Act, children and youth in homeless situations have the right to:

• Go to school, no matter where they live or how long they have lived there.
• Attend either the local school or the school of origin, if this is in their best interest; the school of origin is the school the child attended when he/she was permanently housed or the school in which the child was last enrolled.
• Receive transportation to and from the school of origin.
• Enroll in school immediately, even if they are missing records and documents normally required for enrollment, such as birth certificate, proof of residency, previous school records, or immunization/medical records.
• Enroll, attend classes, and participate fully in all school activities while the school gathers records.
• Have access to the same programs and services that are available to all other students, including transportation and supplemental educational services.
• Attend school with children not experiencing homelessness; a school may not segregate a student because he or she is homeless.
• Receive free school meals.

For more information on the McKinney-Vento Program, please contact the Mitchell CDC McKinney Vento Lead, Lidia Alvarado, at  657-595-5203 or click on the following link to visit SAUSD's McKinney-Vento Website.