McKinney-Vento/ Homeless Training

1. McKinney-Vento/ Homeless Training Charter School Institute August 29th, 2019

3. Scholarship Opportunity • School Staff registration & travel to the 2019 National Dropout Prevention Conference in Aurora (October 5th – 8th) • Limited scholarships available • Information on how to apply will be sent out next week

4. Quick Facts • 23,089 Students in Colorado were identified as homeless last year. (Roughly 2.5% of the overall student population across the state.) • The Charter School Institute identified approximately 120 students last year. (Roughly .66% of the overall student population in the portfolio of schools.) • 1 in 18 children in Colorado under the age of 6 is experiencing homelessness.

5. Barriers to Education forHomeless Children and Youth • Stereotypes and lack of awareness. • Under-identification. • High mobility resulting in lack of school stability and educational continuity. • Enrollment requirements (school records, health records, proof of residence, guardianship). • Poor health, fatigue, hunger. • Emotional trauma, depression, anxiety. • Lack of transportation. • Lack of school supplies, clothing, etc.

6. Impacts of Homelessnesson Children and Youth • Higher incidences of acute and chronic illnesses, depression and anxiety. • Homelessness in early childhood is associated with poor classroom engagement and poor social skills in early elementary school. • The achievement gaps between homeless and low-income elementary students tend to persist, and may even worsen, over time. • A youth who experiences homelessness is 87% more likely to drop out of school.

7. McKinney-Vento Act Main Themes: • School Stability • Enrollment • Support for Academic Success • Child-centered, best interest decision making

8. McKinney-Vento Students have the right to: • have their transportation arranged or provided to their school of origin, regardless of whether the school provides transportation for other students. • immediate enrollment even if they do not have former school records, records of immunization and other required health records, proof of residency, guardianship, or other documents. • immediate enrollment in any public school that students living in the same attendance area are eligible to attend; even if student has missed application or enrollment deadlines during any period of homelessness. • access to a homeless education liaison. • choose between the local school where they are living and the “school of origin.”

9. Who qualifies under McKinney-Vento? Any student who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. Fixed: a residence that is stationary, permanent, and not subject to change. Regular: a residence that is used on a nightly basis. Adequate: a residence that is sufficient for meeting both the physical and psychological needs typically met in home environments.

10. Identification Strategies • Avoid using the word "homeless” with school personnel, families, or youth. • Provide awareness activities for school staff (registrars, secretaries, counselors, nurses, teachers, tutors, bus drivers, security officers, drop out prevention specialists, attendance officers, administrators, etc.). • http://www.naehcy.org/educational-resources/ • http://center.serve.org/nche/web/online_tr.php • Post outreach materials and posters in areas where there is a frequent influx of low-income families and youth in high-risk situations, including motels, campgrounds, libraries, health center, youth services.

11. Possible Living Situations: • Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason • Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping grounds due to lack of adequate alternative accommodations • Living in emergency or transitional shelters • Abandoned in hospitals • Living in a public or private place not designed for humans to live • Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, bus or train stations, etc. • Youth on their own who lack a fixed, adequate and regular primary nighttime residence (unaccompanied youth)

12. Sharing the Housing of Others (Doubled-Up) • Not all doubled-up situations are considered homeless. • Note the key phrase in the example in the definition: “sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason.” • To be eligible for McKinney – Vento services, a child or youth living doubled-up must have lost housing or experienced a crisis.

13. Helpful Questions: • Why did the family or youth move in with another family? • Is this a long-term arrangement? • Is it a situation of mutual benefit or convenience to both parties? • Where would the doubling-up family or youth live if not able to stay with the host family?

14. Scenarios Which of the following would you consider homeless? • A. A single mother moved in with her mother because her mother can provide after-school care for her son and because her mother is getting older and needs some help. • B. A family lost its housing due to a fire and moved in with relatives until the house is repaired.

15. If you selected B, you are correct. The family is living doubled up due to loss of housing, and the situation is temporary. The living situation in A was a choice for convenience, and would not fit the definition of homeless, based on the information provided. The family’s situation appears to be fixed, regular, and adequate.

16. Which of the following youth is eligible for McKinney-Vento services? • A. A youth moved in with a friend’s family when his parents kicked him out of their home after an argument. The friend’s parents said he could stay for a week only. • B. A youth has lived with his grandmother ever since his mother was incarcerated two years ago.

17. The youth in example A would be considered eligible as an unaccompanied homeless youth. He was kicked out of his home and his current living situation is temporary. The youth in example B, while unaccompanied, would most likely not be considered eligible since his living situation appears stable with his grandmother.

18. What to do when you’ve identified a student?

20. The School Homeless Liaison must confirm the information recorded on the Residency Information Form is accurate. • The School Homeless Liaison prints their name, signs and dates the completed form. • The School Homeless Liaison and/or Registrar scans and securely transfers the Homeless form to CSI via Filezilla. (no emails or faxes because the student’s living situation is subject to FERPA) • CSI Homeless Liaison will print their name, sign, and date the completed form and put in the appropriate Filezilla folder for record keeping. • The School Homeless Liaison ensures their SIS system is updated with correct student information. • CSI Homeless Liaison will contact your School Food Authority.

21. Two Things to Keep in Mind • If there is a dispute as to eligibility and/or enrollment, student must be immediately enrolled in the school in which the student/parent seeks enrollment, while resolution of the dispute is pending. http://www.cde.state.co.us/dropoutprevention/homeless_disputes • Residency Forms need to be submitted to CSI as soon as possible through Filezilla. The deadline to submit forms in order to receive initial funding is 9/30/19. • *Please email Nick when new forms are uploaded.*

22. Other Liaison Responsibilities • Post Educational Rights posters in school • Ensure that children and youth in homeless situations are identified and residency forms are processed • Link students with educational services, including preschool and health services • Resolve disputes • Allocate funds

23. McKinney-Vento Budget Items

24. What can you spend the money on? • Meet basic needs (clothing, supplies, health) of homeless students so that they can participate in school • Support homeless liaison position • Hire special teachers, aides, and tutors to provide supplemental instruction • Provide outreach activities to homeless parents • Provide after-school and/or summer programs • Provide emergency food while the student is in school, including breakfast, lunch, and snacks • Pay for student projects and/or field trips • Provide academic support as well as non-academic support to homeless students in non-Title IA schools • Defray medical, dental, and vision expenses • Pay fees associated with obtaining birth certificates • Pay fees associated with obtaining immunizations • Pay the cost of GED for homeless students • Provide activities other than direct instruction, provided the activity promotes student achievement • Provide transportation to and from after-school programs • Provide transportation to and from the school of origin after the child becomes permanently housed • Provide the cost of cap and gown to wear at graduation

25. Non-Allowable Uses for Funds Funds CANNOT be used to: Provide clothing assistance for parents Pay for the cost of prom dresses, sports, or yearbooks Pay for physical exams to participate in sports Purchase gift cards or gift certificates

26. Reimbursement Process Generally, federal funds have a high level of documentation requirements. These funds are part of the Federal Title IA program and will come with the same documentation requirements. Reimbursement Process: • Spend the funds according to the approved budgeted activities • Maintain documentation of spending --- Back-up documentation including invoices, proof of payment, and proof of delivery • Submit a Request For Funds to CSI Fed Programs (submission opportunities on the 23rd of each month) • CSI Fed Programs processes RFF • Please reference the RFF Webinar posted on the CSI Website -> School Resources -> Financial Services -> Trainings http://www.csi.state.co.us/school_resources/financial_services/?portalId=2345155&pageId=2412354&objectId.182409=3511617&contextId.182409=3511592&parentId.182409=3511593

27. Proof of Payment • Acceptable forms of proof of payment are as follows: • For payment made by check: invoice or receipt and cancelled check (to either vendor or p-card bank). • For credit card payments or wires: invoice or receipt and payment confirmation or bank statement. • For Debit Card payments: Invoice or receipt and bank statement • For salaries paid by ACH: a detailed payroll register listing employee names, total amount paid, pay period and pay date.

28. Posting of Public Notice of Educational Rights • All schools are required to post the Notice of Educational Rights in their school • Free posters are available for download for print here: http://center.serve.org/nche/pr/er_poster.php#youth • It is encouraged that both the Parent and Youth posters are displayed in English and Spanish

30. FileZilla • Link to FileZilla w/ Instructions: http://www.csi.state.co.us/UserFiles/Servers/Server_2345071/File/Downloading%20and%20Using%20FileZilla%20September2015Update.pdf • Please contact the Submissions team (Submissions_CSI@csi.state.co.us) if you need a Filezilla account to be created for Homeless Form Submissions. • Upload files into your school’s Filezilla account and email Nick which folder you uploaded the file to

31. Additional Resources • CDE Homeless Page: http://www.cde.state.co.us/dropoutprevention/homeless_index • National Center for Homeless Education: http://center.serve.org/nche/index.php • CDE Information for New Homeless Liaisons: http://www.cde.state.co.us/dropoutprevention/homeless_resources-liaisons

32. Quick Reminder • Julia will be reaching out to begin the process of identifying and creating an infrastructure for community supports around your area. • Scholarship information for the upcoming National Dropout Prevent Conference will also be sent out soon.

33. Contact Information Nick Stachokus Student Services Improvement Specialist Cell: 720.990.1240 nickstachokus@csi.state.co.us Julia Linares-Roake Grant Technician and School & Community Partnering Liaison Office:303.866-2660 julialinaresroake@csi.state.co.us