Educational Rights of Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness
Children and youth experiencing homelessness have the right to
- Go to school, no matter where they live or how long they have lived there.
- Continue in the school they last attended before becoming homeless or the school they last attended, if that is the parent's or guardian's choice and is feasible.
- Receive transportation to the school they last attended before their family became homeless or the school they last attended, if a parent or guardian requests such transportation.
- Attend school and participate in school programs with children who are not homeless.
- Enroll in school without giving a permanent address.
- Enroll and attend classes while the school arranges for the transfer of school and immunization records or any other documents required for enrollment.
- Receive the same special programs and services, if needed, as provided to all other children served in these programs.
- Receive transportation to school and to school programs comparable to that provided to children who are not homeless.
Read
the McKinney-Vento definition of homelessness.
Download the
full text
of the Act. (77K)*Clicking on an external link will take you to a non-NCHE webpage or document. The external agency's privacy policy may differ from that of NCHE.
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The National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) is associated with The SERVE Center at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Education, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. This website was produced with funding from the U.S. Department of Education, on contract no. ED-01-CO-0092/0001.