What is the McKinney-Vento (Homeless) Act?

Children who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime home are eligible for McKinney-Vento services.  In general, children or youth living in motels, transitional housing, shelters, the street, cars, abandoned buildings, and other inadequate accommodations may be considered eligible for McKinney-Vento services.  This includes, but is not limited to, the following groups:

Doubled-up Children: Living with another family due to lack of a permanent residence.

Children in Shelters: Including transitional living programs.

Children living in motels: Due to lack of alternative adequate living situations Migratory children: If accommodations are not fit for habitation. 

Runaways: Children who left home and live in a shelter or inadequate accommodations, even if parents are willing to provide a home.

Lockouts: Children whose parents or guardians will not permit them to live at home.

Students who are in temporary, inadequate, and homeless living situations have the following rights:

Immediate enrollment in the school they last attended or the school in whose attendance area they are currently staying, even if they do not have all of the documents normally required at the time of enrollment.

Access to free meals and textbooks, Title 1 and other educational programs, and other comparable services including transportation.

To attend the same classes and activities that students in other living situations also participate in without fear of being separated or treated differently due to their housing situations.

Any questions about these rights can be directed to, Mary Taylor, at 847-603-5136 or you can call our front office at 847-395-1550