Evictions and Education

The McKinney-Vento Act provides valuable protections for families with children in school, who are facing eviction or homelessness. These services can be particularly beneficial during the pandemic, when more families may face eviction. The Act requires that public school entities ensure that homeless children have the same access to public education as other youth. The Act defines a student as homeless if he or she is staying in a shelter, motel, vehicle, trailer park, on the street or with relatives or friends. If a student falls within one of these categories, public schools have to provide the student with educational services. The services include transportation to the school the child was enrolled in before becoming homeless, if feasible, referral to other social and health services (e.g. shelters, mental health services, domestic violence agencies), enrollment in school of choice, enrollment in school without a permanent address and other services. Families may contact their school(s) to obtain contact information for the McKinney-Vento Act liaison who can assist with obtaining the benefits under this law.