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Mechanicsburg Area School District

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Homeless

Homeless Infographic
Who is Homeless?
 
In 1987, Congress passed the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.  Subtitle B of Title VII of this Act entitled, Education for Homeless Children and Youth, has been amended and is now part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title X, Part C.  Under the NCLB Amendments (Sec. 725), the phrase "homeless children and youths" means individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence.
 
The Basic Education Circular: Education for Homeless Youth 42 U.S.C. 11431 dated February 29, 2008, explains the categories of children who are "homeless" and entitled to protections of the federal law.  These categories include children and youths who are:
 
  • Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason
  • Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to alternative adequate accommodations
  • Living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals
  • Individuals and/or families living with relatives or friends due to loss of housing.
  • Awaiting foster care placement: including those who live in shelters or are placed in emergency, interim or respite foster care; kinship care; evaluation or diagnostic centers or placements for the sole purpose of evaluation
  • Primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarilly used for regular sleeping accommodations for human beings such as living in a vehicle, park, public space, or an abandoned building
  • Living in substandard housing
  • Migratory children who qualify as homeless
  • "Unaccompanied homeless youth" including any child who is "not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian" (42 U.S.C. 1143a (6)).  This includes youth who have run away from home, been thrown out of their home, been abandoned by parents or guardians, or separated from their parent for any reason   
 
 
District Contact:
 
The Homeless Liasion for the Mechanicsburg Area School District is Dr. Gina Daniel, School Social Worker.  For immediate concerns, please contact the Office of Student Services at (717) 691-4522.