McKinney Vento (Homeless Assistance)
Homeless Support Program: McKinney-Vento
Pullman Public Schools is committed to helping students who are facing housing instability so they can continue their education without interruptions. Through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, the district works to remove barriers that might prevent students from fully participating in school activities, events, and learning.
We aim to partner with families, offering support and resources to help students succeed in school. This includes referrals to community services that can assist with both educational needs and basic necessities.
Students experiencing homelessness have the right to either stay in their current school (the school they attended before becoming homeless) or transfer to the nearest school to where they are living. We also provide transportation to help students stay in their original school if it is in their best interest.
About the McKinney-Vento Program
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The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a federal law that guarantees all children and youth the right to an equal education regardless of their living situation. Protection under the McKinney-Vento Act extends to those who lack a fixed, regular, and inadequate nighttime residence. This includes:
- Children and youth sharing housing due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason
- Children and youth living in emergency or transitional shelters or transitional housing (this generally includes a time limit on the housing assistance and case management by the housing agency)
- Children and youth living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camp grounds due to lack of alternative accommodations
- Children and youth abandoned in hospitals
- Children and youth living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations
- Children and youth whose primary nighttime residence is not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation (e.g. park benches, etc)
- Migratory children and youth living in any of the above situations
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The McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act is a 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.
Under the McKinney-Vento Act, your eligible children have the right to:
- Receive a free, appropriate public education.
- Enroll in school immediately, even if lacking documents normally required for enrollment.
- Enroll in school and attend classes while the school gathers needed documents.
- Enroll in the local school; or continue attending their school of origin (the school they attended when permanently housed or the school in which they were last enrolled), if that is your preference. **If the school district believes that the school you select is not in the best interest of your children, then the district must provide you with a written explanation of its position and inform you of your right to appeal its decision.
- Receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if you request this.
- Receive educational services comparable to those provided to other students, according to your children’s needs.
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If you believe your children may be eligible, please contact the support liaisons below to find out what services and supports may be available. There also may be supports available for your preschool-age children.
- The counselor at your child’s school
- Pullman School District Local Liaison – Paula Bates 509-332-3144 pbates@psd267.org
- For all Washington State technical assistance questions and inquiries, you may contact the McKinney-Vento Office at the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction at 360-725-6505 or mckinneyvento@k12.wa.us
- If you need further assistance with your children’s educational needs, you may contact the National Center for Homeless Education at 1-800-308-2145 or homeless@serve.org * NCHE Website
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Transportation requests may be made by:
- Contact the School : Contact the main office of the school your child attends and ask for the McKinney-Vento building point of contact for assistance;
- Contact the District : Call the McKinney-Vento District Liaison, Paula Bates at 509-332-3144 or email pbates@psd267.org.
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Visit our Community Resources for Families page for information on where to find additional support services in Whitman and Latah County.
National Resources Around Homelessness
- National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth – NAEHCY is a voice and social conscience for the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness. NAEHCY accomplishes this through advocacy, partnerships, and education.
- National Center for Homeless Education – NCHE is the U.S. Department of Education’s technical assistance and information center in the area of homeless education.
- National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty – Lawyers working to end homelessness.
- National Network for Youth – NN4Y works to create a community of agencies, people and resources to champion the needs of homeless and runaway youth, to ensure that opportunities for growth and development be available to youth everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The McKinney-Vento Act (42 U.S.C. § 11431 et seq.) is a federal law that provides important educational rights and services to PreK-12 children and youth experiencing homelessness. At its core, the law requires state educational agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) to remove barriers to school enrollment and attendance, provide transportation and school stability when needed, ensure full participation in academic and extracurricular programs, and designate liaisons to support students experiencing homelessness.
This quick reference summarizes the Act’s key provisions, includes relevant legal citations, and provides resources to help educators, families and youth, and liaisons better support students.
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The Act guarantees educational rights and services for students experiencing homelessness, including immediate enrollment, access to academic and extracurricular programs, transportation and school stability protections, and liaison supports.
Immediate Enrollment
Homeless children and youth must be enrolled in school immediately, even if they lack documents or have missed application or enrollment deadlines during any period of homelessness.
Access to Academic & Extracurricular Programs
States must have procedures to ensure that homeless children and youth do not face barriers to accessing academic and extracurricular activities.
School Stability Protections
Children and youth experiencing homelessness can remain in their school of origin for the duration of homelessness and until the end of an academic year in which they obtain permanent housing, if it is in their best interest
Liaison Supports
Every local education agency (LEA) must designate a liaison for students experiencing homelessness who is able to carry out the duties described in the law
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Under the McKinney-Vento Act, the term “homeless children and youths” is defined to mean children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. The definition specifically includes children and youth who are:
- Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason.
- Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate accommodations.
- Living in emergency or transitional shelters.
- Living in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or other similar settings.
- Substandard housing may include lack of utilities, mold, infestation, unsafe conditions, or related issues.
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Eligibility hinges on wheather the child or youth lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
“Homeless children and youth” means children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, including those who are sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; staying in motels, trailer parks, or camp grounds due to the lack of an adequate alternative; staying in shelters or transitional housing; or sleeping in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, or similar settings. 42 U.S.C. §11434a(2).
“Unaccompanied youth” includes homeless children and youth who are not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian. 42 U.S.C. 11434a(6).
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School of origin “means the school that a child or youth attended when permanently housed or the school in which the child or youth was last enrolled, including a preschool”.
Students experiencing homelessness can remain in their “school of origin”:
- For the duration of homelessness
- And until the end of an academic year in whihc they obtain permanent housing, if it is in their best interest
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Rights include immediate enrollment (even without documentation), the right to attend the school of origin when appropriate, transportation to the school of origin, access to academic and extracurricular activities , and referral to health and other services.
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Yes. The Act specifically covers unaccompanied youth – defined as homeless children and youth not in the phyiscal custody of a parent or guardian – and requires that liaisons ensure unaccompanied youth are informed of their rights and receive verification for college financial aid as applicable.
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School districts must designate a liaison, ensure identification and enrollment of homeless students, remove barriers to enrollment and participation (including fees and required docuements), provide transportation to school of origin when requested and appropriate, and post public notice of rights in locations accessible to parents and youth.