Did you know that your school-aged children may qualify for certain rights and protections under the federal McKinney-Vento Act? Please review this information for more details.

What is McKinney-Vento? The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act is a homeless assistance program, and 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. For more detailed information on the National Center for Homeless Education and McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, visit the National Center for Homeless Education website.

If you or anyone you know is living in one of the following situations, please contact a parent liaison for assistance.

• In a shelter, motel, or campground due to the lack of an alternative adequate accommodation

• In a car, park, abandoned building, bus, or train station

• Doubled-up with a parent, relative, or friend due to loss of housing or economic hardship

• Housing that is substandard or considered inadequate

Eligible students have the right to:

• Go to school - no matter where or how long they have lived in the area

• Be given the same access to public education as other students - including pre-k

• Continue their education in school of origin or residence

• Be transported to their original school if living outside of their school's attendance borders

• Attend and participate in programs at their school with other students

• Enroll in school without having a permanent address

• Attend classes immediately while the school arranges for required enrollment documents (immunization records, etc.)

• Participate in the same special programs and services provided to all other students in the same programs

• Receive Title I services - including free breakfast and lunch all school year, and 30 days into the next school year

Services provided:

• Clothing, uniforms, undergarments, and shoes

• Backpacks and school supplies

• General basic needs/toiletries

• Transportation

• Other services as needed

The term ‘awaiting foster care placement' has been removed from the definition of 'homeless' in McKinney-Vento.

Foster Care is the 24 hour substitute care for children placed away from their parents or guardians and for whom the child welfare agency has placement and care responsibility.

• Foster children no longer fall under McKinney-Vento.

• Foster children should remain in their school of origin. 

• Foster children may be transported to their school of origin. 

• Foster children should be enrolled immediately, even without all required paperwork.

• Foster children automatically qualify for the FREE & reduced lunch program.

What is the school of origin?

The school in which a child is enrolled at the time of placement in foster care. If a child's foster care placement changes, then it would be considered the school in which the child is enrolled at the time of the placement change.

 For more information contact your district's foster care point of contact

Melisa Lunderville
Assistant Superintendent of Student Services
(520) 375-8283
mlunderville@scv35.org

or

ADE's Foster Care Ed. Coordinator
(602) 542-3569
FosterCare@azed.gov
www.azed.gov/FosterCare

District Office 
Audra Bilow, District Liaison, (520) 375-8292

Calabasas K-8 School
Mauren Figueroa, Parent Liaison, (520) 375-8614

Coatimundi Middle School
Yara Sanchez, Parent Liaison, (520) 375-8317 

Mountain View Elementary
Briana Rodriguez, Parent Liaison, (520) 375-8417

Rio Rico High School
Maria Pena, Parent Liaison, (520) 375-8894 

San Cayetano Elementary
Michelle Myers, Parent Liaison, (520) 375-8804