The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (McKinney-Vento Act) (42 U.S.C. § 11431-11435) is federal legislation that ensures the educational rights and protection of children and youths experiencing homelessness. It requires all local educational agencies (LEAs) to ensure that homeless students have access to the same free, appropriate public education, including public preschools, as provided for other children and youths. The McKinney-Vento Act defines LEAs as public school districts, direct-funded and locally funded charter schools, and county offices of education. The McKinney-Vento Act also authorizes the funding for the federal Education for Homeless Children and Youths Program.

The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children and youths as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This definition also includes:

• Children and youths who are sharing the housing of other people due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason
• Children and youths who may be living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, shelters
• Children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as regular sleeping accommodation for human beings
• Children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings, or
• Migratory children qualify as homeless because they are children who are living in similar circumstances listed above.

Sunnyvale School District is committed to educating students who meet the guidelines under McKinney-Vento. If you have further questions regarding homelessness, please contact Paul Slayton (Sunnyvale School District Homeless Youth Liaison) paul.slayton@sesd.org.