Community Connections for Homeless Children

1
Community Connections for Homeless Children

• Kara A. Capone, MA, MPH
• Director of Programs
• New Haven Home Recovery, Inc.

2
Shelter Options in New Haven, CT

• 4 Family Shelter options
• CCA (2 sites) 17 families (DSS)
• NHHR (2 sites) 13 women children (DSS
  City)
• Life Haven 20 women children (DSS City)
• Domestic Violence 6 women children (DSS)

3
Homeless Kids in New Haven CT

• In the past two years, NH shelters (excluding DV)
  sheltered 658 children. 55 were 0-5 years old.
  NHHR has over 1,700 requests for shelter, only
  16 could be accommodated
• There are an est. 13,000 homeless children
  statewide
• 40 of all people who are homeless are children

4
McKinney-Vento Overview

• McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
• Originally authorized in 1987
• Reauthorized in January 2002 as Title X, Part C
  of No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
• The primary piece of federal legislation dealing
  with the education of children and youth
  experiencing homelessness in U.S. public schools.

www.serve.org/nche/
5
McKinney-Vento Overview (Cont.)

• Provides stability, access and support for
  academic success for homeless children and youth,
  including preschool-aged children
• To qualify for these rights, children and youth
  must be considered homeless according to the
  McKinney-Vento definition of homelessness.

www.serve.org/nche/
6
Homeless Definition

• Homeless children and youth are minors who lack a
  fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
  It includes children and youth who
• are sharing the housing of other persons due to
  loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar
  reason
• are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or
  camping grounds due to the lack of alternative
  adequate accommodations
• are living in emergency or transitional shelters
• are abandoned in hospitals or are awaiting
  foster care placement

www.serve.org/nche/
7
Homeless Definition (Cont.)

• have a primary nighttime residence that is a
  public or private place not designed for or
  ordinarily used as a regular sleeping
  accommodation for human beings
• are living in cars, parks, public spaces,
  abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or
  train stations, or similar settings and
• migrant children and youth who qualify as
  homeless

www.serve.org/nche/
8
Homeless Definition (Cont.)

• Subgroups
• Children and Youth in Homeless Families
• Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (runaway, abandoned,
  and/or unsupervised youth)
• Under the McKinney-Vento Act, an individual or
  family who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate
  residence is considered homeless.
• Fixed residence one that is stationary,
  permanent and not subject to change.
• Regular residence one that is used on a regular
  (i.e., nightly) basis.
• Adequate residence one which is sufficient for
  meeting both the physical and psychological needs
  typically met in home environments.

www.serve.org/nche/
9
School Involvement

• Every LEA (Local Educational Agency) must
  designate a local homeless education liaison
• Responsibilities
• Identify homeless children and youth
• Ensure that homeless students enroll in and have
  full and equal opportunity to succeed in school
• Post public notice of educational rights
• Coordinate and collaborate with agencies
• Arrange services and transportation
• Resolve disputes

www.serve.org/nche/
10
Educational Rights

• Children and youth experiencing homelessness have
  the right to
• Go to school
• Continue in the school they last attended before
  becoming homeless
• Receive transportation to the school they last
  attended

www.serve.org/nche/
11
Educational Rights (Cont.)

• Attending a school and participate in school
  programs with children who are not homeless.
• Enroll without giving a permanent address.
• Enroll and attend classes without immunization
  records or any other required documents
• Receive the same special programs and services,
  as provided to all other children
• Receive transportation to school and to school
  programs

www.serve.org/nche/
12
The Childrens Education Partnership

• NHHR, Head Start, Diaper Bank and DSS got
  together to discuss the problem
• Convened interested stakeholders
• TA from from Regional Head Start
• Put together a plan to address the school
  readiness needs of homeless children age 0-5
  years.

13
Partnership

• Goal Develop strong collaboration between
  agencies including Memos of Understanding
• Create collaborative steering committee
  consisting of a representative from each
  organization to meet quarterly
• Work with stakeholders to ensure a coordinated
  system of care. Issue a quarterly newsletter on
  progress
• Create and sign MOUs between agencies

14
Education

• Goal Universal understanding of McKinney-Vento
  and ability to use information effectively
• Education of sheltered parents
• Education of shelter staff
• Education of local school staff

15
Identification Enrollment

• Goal Increase the number of homeless children
  identified as eligible for and enrolled in early
  childhood education
• Staff ID children eligible
• Applications completed and submitted
• Children enrolled in school

16
Identification Enrollment (Cont.)

• Goal All children who are homeless will be
  enrolled in a quality education program
• DSS collaboration with Head Start
• Outreach agencies
• Establish point people at agencies
• Outreach other services providers mental health,
  substance abuse.
• Identify barriers to enrollment

17
Advocacy

• Goal Homeless children will be better served by
  the school system through advocacy
• Participation of staff in IEPs and other
  educational meetings
• Facilitate communication with teachers, social
  workers and other school personnel

18
Outreach

• Locally School Readiness Council, Board of
  Alderman-Human Services, Policy Council, City
  Health Dept-Manos, DPH School of Health Services,
  Head Start School Advisory, BOE School Based
  Health Clinics, New Haven Continuum, Voices for
  Children

19
Outreach

• Statewide Commission on Children, Daycare
  Council, School Readiness, Department of Social
  Services, Department of Children and Families,
  Department of Education, Department of Public
  Health, legislators and elected / appointed
  officials

20
Resources

• National Center for Homeless Education
• http//www.serve.org/nche/
• National Association for the Education of
  Homeless Children and Youth
• http//www.naehcy.org/
• National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty
• http//www.nlchp.org/
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
  (IDEA) 2004
• http//www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/idea2004
  .html
• No Child Left Behind Title X, Part C
• http//www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg116.ht
  ml