McKinney-Vento

McKinney-Vento & Attendance Liaison
Cathy Bourm

(360) 582-3674
[email protected]


McKinney -Vento Building Points of Contacts


High School

Youth Services Resource Navigator

Kaidence Cary

(360) 582-3248

[email protected]
Employed by Olympic Educational Service District 114

to work with Counselors & McKinney-Vento Liaison to support students at Sequim High School

 


The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act is a federal law that ensures immediate enrollment and educational stability for homeless children and youth. McKinney-Vento provides federal funding to states for the purpose of supporting district programs that serve homeless students. Student Housing Questionnaire

Defining Homeless
The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children as "individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence." The act provides examples of children who would fall under this definition:

  • Children and youth sharing housing due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason
  • Children and youth living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camp grounds due to lack of alternative accommodations
  • Children and youth living in emergency or transitional shelters
  • Children and youth abandoned in hospitals
  • Children and youth awaiting foster care placement
  • Children and youth whose primary night time residence is not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation (e.g. park benches, etc)
  • Children and youth living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations
  • Migratory children and youth living in any of the above situations

The Homeless Education office at OSPI oversees the federal McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth program. The program provides training, technical assistance, and monitoring for school districts and ensures immediate enrollment and educational stability for Washington’s 26,000 homeless children and youth.

Additional Information about services to Homeless Students can be found at www.k12.wa.us/HomelessEd/default.aspx

Students and Families Experiencing Homelessness

The goal of Sequim School District’s McKinney-Vento Program is to keep students in school and promote their academic, physical, social and emotional success and growth. We also want to assist families in staying involved in their children's education and reducing risks they may face. 2nd Semester Housing Questionairre.pdf

You and/or your family are considered "homeless" if you are:

Doubled up with friends or relatives because you can't find or afford housing
Living in a shelter, motel, vehicle, or campground
Living on the street
Living in an abandoned building, mobile trailer, or other inadequate accommodation
Students who are experiencing homelessness have the choice of remaining in the school you have been attending at the time you became homeless or enrolling in a school near your temporary housing. In either case, you are guaranteed transportation, even between school districts.

Other Program Services:

Connect students and their parents with other programs and resources available inside and outside of Sequim Schools to help stabilize and support the students and/or family through their transition

Help school staff locate and compile records for students who are in transition or temporary living arrangement while they are attending Sequim School District

Communicate with schools about students in their building to support students, staff and parents with issues that pertain to students who are in transition when deemed necessary to support their social, emotional, physical or academic needs

Group Workshops and college-visits with secondary level students who are interested in Higher Education

Tangible support (clothes, back packs, supplies, emergency shelter amenities, transportation assistance)

Financial Support to participate fully in extracurricular activities

Are you a student who is not living with your parent or legal guardian? You may qualify for the McKinney-Vento Program as an Unaccompanied Homeless Youth. You can enroll without documentation or your legal guardian while we assist you in collecting information, records and documents.

For enrollment and transportation support, please contact your school and the McKinney-Vento District Liaison.

For more information about resources and assistance available in the area please look at our Community Resources Page.

Be sure to connect with your building counselors to talk more about your student’s educational opportunities.

Know Your Rights

The right to continue in the school you were in before you became homeless, if you want to;
The right to continue in the same school you are in if you are homeless now;
The right to transportation to school, according to current District transportation guidelines;
The right to enroll and attend classes without giving a permanent address;
The right to enroll and attend classes even if you are missing documents usually required for enrollment;
The right to attend the school of your choice while a dispute over your enrollment is being resolved, or, if the school district sends your child to a school other than the school of your choice, you have the right to a written explanation and the right to appeal that decision.

McKinney-Vento/Student Homelessness Information Links:

OSPI Homeless Education Information  - Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction website regarding homeless education.

School House Connection - A non-profit organization working to overcome homelessness through education

National Center for Homeless Education - NCHE operates the U.S. Department of Education's technical assistance and information center for the federal Education for Homeless Children and Youth Act.

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children - NAEHCY is a national membership association dedicated to educational equity and excellence for children and youth experiencing homelessness.

     Updated August 2023