Who is considered homeless?

Under the McKinney-Vento Act, the term “homeless children and youth” means individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence and includes children and youth:

• Who are sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in a motel, hotel or trailer park or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in an emergency or transitional shelter; or are abandoned in hospitals;
• Who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinary used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
• Who are living in a car, a park, public spaces, an abandoned building, substandard housing, a bus or train station or similar settings; and
• Who are migratory children who live in one of the above circumstances.

Children’s Educational Rights

Eligible children and youth have the right to:

1. Go to school either in the school of origin* or in the school with the attendance area where they are temporarily housed. This would depend on the feasibility and the best interest of the child.  Some factors to consider include the age of the child, safety concerns, the length of the commute and how much time is left in the school year.
2. Receive transportation to and from the school of origin at no cost to the parent or student.
3. Enroll in the local school immediately, even if you are missing records and documents normally required for enrollment (i.e. birth certificate, proof of residence, previous school records, immunizations).
4. Enroll, attend class and participate fully in all school activities while the school gathers records.
5. Have access to the same programs and services that are available to all other students including transportation and supplemental educational services.
6. Receive free school meals.

*The school of origin is the school the child attended when permanently housed or the school the child last attended. 

School district staff shall notify the Home and School Visitor immediately if they suspect a student is eligible as a student experiencing homelessness.

Early Childhood Education 

If your family is experiencing homelessness and you have a child under 5 years old, please contact the Delaware County Intermediate Unit (610-938-9000) for more information about their early childhood programs.

Please contact the Homeless Liaison/ Home and School Visitor for more information or assistance.