Federal Initiative To Educate Homeless Children

The Orange County Register recently reported on the Federal Initiative called the: McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act. This law “requires school districts to provide equal access to education for homeless students. ” Here is a description of the law.

Here are some other items from the article:
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Definition of homeless:

Lacks a regular, fixed and adequate nighttime residence

Shares housing because of economic struggles

Lives in a shelter, hotel or motel

Lives in a public place not designated for sleeping

Is an unaccompanied youth

Is awaiting foster-care placement

Is abandoned in a hospital

Is a migrant child who qualifies under any of the above

Districts must ensure:

Homeless children are identified

Homeless students enroll in and have full and equal opportunity to succeed in school districts

Homeless families, children and youth receive educational services
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Now, the real question… why do we even allow children to be homeless? Of course, we should be educating them. But we really should have a law that gives every person—including children—the right to safe housing. It seems a little backward to help a homeless child with his or her education, but not to guarantee him or her safe permanent housing…