homeless education in nampa school district: homeless education in nampa school district: what every...

Homeless Education in Nampa Homeless Education in Nampa School District:School District:

What every district employee needs to know

Homelessness: It’s a Problem With Many Faces

Homeless Students Reflect the Total Student Population:

• Some are gifted and talented• Some have learning needs;• Some are athletic, musical, artistic;• Some have natural leadership skills;• Some are behaviorally challenging;• Most are “survivors,” struggling to beat the odds

of their circumstances; and• ALL are valuable individually and as a part of

our school community.

During the 2009-10 school term, Nampa School District had 757

documented homeless students. This was up from 195

in 2008-09.

Why the huge increase?There are probably many reasons, but

here are some:• Economic down turn in our area

• New system for registering homeless youth in school

• Increased awareness by school personnel

• Grant funding that allowed for improved services, including part time personnel

• Media coverage

Many of our homeless families are “first time” homeless:

Until recently, they had stable jobs, a roof over their heads, and

food on the table.

Until recently, they could buy food for their families, school supplies,

and clothing.

The “newly homeless”

• Do not know where to turn for help;

• Feel embarrassed about their situation;

• Feel guilty for having to ask for help;

• Are not experienced in working with social service agencies to address their needs; and

• Some would much prefer to “do without” rather than let anyone know of their plight.

If you became homeless, how would you keep your family together?

The McKinney-Vento ActAuthorized Through The Elementary and Secondary Education Act

Requires School Districts to:Designate a “Homeless Liaison” to oversee homeless educationIdentify, Engage, and Serve Homeless and Unaccompanied Children in School

The McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act . . .

Maintains educational continuity during a time of transition for the student;

Requires schools to identify and enroll students who meet the definition of homeless; and

Specifies provisions that must be made by each school for each homeless student.

Homelessness Has Many Definitions in the McKinney-Vento

Act:• Sharing the housing of other persons due

to loss of housing, economic hardship, or other similar reason;

• Living in a car, park, campground, public space, abandoned building, substandard housing or similar;

• Living in emergency or transitional shelters;

Definitions (con’t.)• Living temporarily in a motel or hotel due to loss

of housing, economic hardship or similar reason;• Moving from place to place due to loss of

housing or economic hardship;• Having a primary night time residence that is a

public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a sleeping accommodation for human beings;

• Living in a house or vehicle of any kind (including camper) without running water, electricity, or heat;

Definitions (Con’t)

• Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are living in circumstances described above;

• A homeless Unaccompanied Youth is someone who is not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian, and who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night time residence.

Many of our students live in “doubled up” situations with many people in a house.

Schools must inform the Community about the provisions for

homeless students in Nampa School District in two ways:

These posters must be placed in an obvious location in EVERY school building and

throughout the community

A Student Questionnaire Form, found on the Administrators’ Support Center, MUST be

placed in the registration packet of every student every year.

Nampa School DistrictStudent Questionnaire Form

In order to better serve your children, The Nampa School district is helping the state of Idaho identify students who may qualify to receive additional educational services. The information provided below will be kept confidential. Please answer the following questions and return thisform to your child’s school.*This questionnaire is intended to address the McKinney-Vento Act 42 U.S.C. 11435.1. Student is with an adult that is not a parent or legal guardian, or alone without an adult. □ Yes, I am an unaccompanied Youth: Not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian2. Presently, are you and/or your family in any of the following situations? Check one box. □ Yes, sharing the home of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, similar reason; doubled-up. □ Yes, living in a car, park, campground, public space, abandoned building, substandard housing or similar. □ Yes, temporarily living in a motel or hotel due to loss of housing, economic hardship or similar reason. □ Yes, moving from place to place due to loss of housing or economic hardship. □ Yes, living in a house or vehicle of any kind (including camper) without running water, electricity, or heat.

Student’s Name: __________________________________________________________________Date: _____________ Last, First, Middle IStudent’s School: _________________________________________________________ Birth date: _________________Grade: ____________Name of Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s):____________________________________________________________________Contact Address: ____________________________________ Zip: __________Phone:___________________________

Other children in the family: _________________________ school_____________________________ _________________________ school_____________________________

Signature of Parent/Legal Guardian: _____________________________________________Date_________________(Signature of student if unaccompanied youth)

Presenting a false record or falsifying records is an offense under Section 37.10, Penal code, and enrollment of the child under false documents subjects the person to liability for tuition or other costs. TEC Sec. 25.002 (3)(d)

REMEMBER:REMEMBER:

Homelessness is a temporary situation in most cases; it is not a permanent description of a child

or family

Sometimes we have clues that a child might be homeless:

A child that displays any of the following might be homeless – or in

need of additional support:• Early arrival or departure

from school• Lack of clarity about

address, phone or contact information

• Tardy, unusual absences or change in routine

• Lack of appropriate clothing for the season

• Use of school facilities for personal needs

• Stressed, sleepy, change in behavior

• Hygiene issues• Change in grades or

school performance• Lack of school supplies,

lost books/supplies• Loss of access to

computer• Storing clothes or

personal items at school

If you think a student might be homeless, discuss your

concerns with the school counselor, social worker or

nurse.

What Are the Things a School Must Do?

• The person who registers students in any building MUST give every student a copy of the Student Questionnaire Form. (Found in the Policies and Procedures Manual).

• If the student/family does not fill out the form, there is no further work to do on this topic at this time.

• If the student/family does complete the form, the next steps must happen:– Fax the form to Mary Ensley (468-4638)– Let the school counselor and nurse know that this student

has been enrolled, so they can begin work with school records, health issues, providing school supplies, hygiene kits, etc.

Other Enrollment Regulations:(Clarification is found in the Policies and Procedures Manual)

• Continue enrollment in the school the student was attending at the time of homelessness, regardless of the school zone of their new housing;

• Enroll students without required documentation:– Medical Records– Birth certificate– School records

• Enroll unaccompanied youth, even without an adult present;• Help fill out free/reduced lunch form (every homeless child is

eligible for free lunch);• Provide a School Handbook; encourage participation in school

activities;• Provide all needed school supplies; and• Provide hygiene kits, if needed. (Every nurse has a supply).

What happens to the SQF?

• Once received in the Student Services office, the following steps take place:– The form is documented, dated, and signed by the

Program coordinator;– It is forwarded to Peggy Miller, District Homeless

Liaison, and faxed to Nutrition Services;– The case is assigned to Kimberlee Minter, a social

worker whose work is specifically with homeless children and families;

– The case management with wrap-around services begins;

– The case is monitored throughout the school term.

The Social Worker Assigned to Homeless Students Will:

• Collaborate with building counselors, social workers, nurses, and teachers to do case planning in behalf of the homeless child;

• Contact homeless families to determine needs, which may include school supplies, clothing, medical, dental and more; and

• Provide wrap-around services to families by means of collaboration with community entities.

Additional Services May Include:

• Limited medical, dental and counseling;• Transportation needs, including limited car

repair (usually under $100) to get children to school and/or services;

• Help with utilities (by means of community donations);

• Clothing (by means of community donations); and

• Assistance in finding housing, child care and other services that may keep a family who is “on the edge” from becoming homeless.

Academic Support to Homeless Students:

• Counselors report concerns to program staff, and together they may:– Visit the home of the children, working with parents on

issues that keep the child from attending school;– Collaborate with other school and community services

that can provide support for the child’s academic success.

• Students’ grades, attendance and tardiness are monitored quarterly; and

• Homeless students’ standardized test scores are monitored and compared to non homeless for the purpose of finding “gaps” in services that may cause lack of academic success.

Because of grant funding and additional community support, the following

services were provided to homeless students and their families last year:

• Emergency/critical dental: 30

• Housing referrals: 147• Vision correction: 2• Employment referrals: 10• Phone consultation and

case management: too many to count!

• Weekend food: 260• School supplies: 493• Hygiene kits: 160+• Emergency clothing: 500• Blankets: 75+• Transportation for extra

school events: 3 families

Feed the Children

Our newest partner has provided more than 750 back packs for elementary and middle school

youth. Each back pack includes a bag of school supplies, hygiene items, and a bag of nutritious

snack foods. Distribution will be to those students who are documented homeless by means of signed Student Information Questionnaires.

If children are warm and fed, it is much easier to focus on school work.

Teachers may be the only consistent part of a child’s life

during the time of homelessness.

To a homeless child, life is seen as uncertain and blurred. What do

you see?

With some help, the picture becomes clearer:

Ways Teachers Can Help:• Understand homeless children have heavy burdens and fears other

children know nothing about.• Be sensitive to challenges, such as homework papers that are

wrinkled or messy.• Many children do not have access to a computer; provide

alternative ways to do assignments that are otherwise prepared on a computer.

• Collaborate with counselors, social workers, and nurses when you “feel” new problems rising.

• Homeless students don’t need sympathy; they do need consistent support.

• Don’t assume students know basic social skills, such as how to play; they may need to be taught how to do so.

• Let each child know you genuinely believe in them, and that you support all their efforts to succeed, however small.

Some children come to school chronically hungry. How can you know?*

• Quickly eating all the food served; asking for more;• Regularly asking the teacher for food;• Saving/hoarding/stealing food to take home;• Asking classmates for food they don’t want;• Asking when the next meal/snack will be served;• Rushing food lines;• Extreme thinness;• Chronically dry/cracked lips and/or dry and itchy eyes.

• *Source: The Idaho Foodbank

Many Partners Work to Help Our Homeless Students:

• Vouchers from Deseret Industries• LDS Humanitarian Center• Local Churches• Nampa Chamber of Commerce• Local Businesses, including Walmart and Cap-Ed• Boise Rescue Mission Ministries through Light House• “Come to the Table” Dinners (Ministerial Assoc.)

• Salvation Army• LOVE, Inc.• Realtors • Individual Volunteers• H & W Navigator• Shelters • And many more

And just in case there is a disagreement about the

enrollment of a homeless child, there is a plan:

Protocol for Enrollment Disputes*All forms can be found on the Administrative Support Center site

Enroll the child immediately in the

School oforigin

Step 1: Parent fills Out Written

Notification Form A

Step 2: School fills out Written

Notification Form B(if request was

denied)

Step 3: Parent mayappeal to Board

of Trustees,then to SDE.

Additional information and all required forms are posted on

the NSD Administrative Support Center under the Administrative

Rules and Regulations tab

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest

compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the

potential to turn a life around.”

 Leo F. Buscaglia

This slide show was prepared as a training tool

by the Nampa School District

Student Services Department

Credits• The Idaho Foodbank, Boise, ID• Optical Illusions: Retrieved from http://eyetricks.com/1101.htm, 27 August

2009.• Photos: www.huffingtonpost.com/news/homelessness, 24 August 2010.• Photos: Garam, B. Educating our homeless. Power Point Presentation.

Retrieved on line 28 August 2009 at: www.profweb.ws/The%20McKinney-Vento%20Homeless%20Assistance%20Act,%20Subtitle%

• Tennessee Department of Education (2009). The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act: Effective Education for Children and Youth in Tennessee. Power Point presentation retrieved on line 28 August, 2009 at www.state.tn.us/education/fedprog/doc/McKVStimulus309.ppt

• U. S. Department of Education, (2004). Education for homeless children and youth program: Title VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Washington, D. C.: Author.