PRO for the McKinley-Vento Act

Abstract

A good education lays the foundation for stability and prosperity in adulthood. It provides young people with the intellectual and emotional tools they need to grow and succeed. Yet for youth experiencing homelessness and those in out-of-home care,2 a good education is all too elusive. These youth suffer from extreme instability in their home lives. Children and youth experiencing homelessness move constantly in their struggle to meet their most basic needs, such as shelter, food, health care, physical safety, economic stability, healthy surroundings, clothing, and transportation. Many face these obstacles alone, as abuse and neglect in their families have forced them out of their homes. Youth in out-of-home care must cope with the stress and trauma of abuse and neglect and subsequent profound disruptions in their family lives, often while in the care of total strangers. Like their peers who are homeless, they too often face high mobility. A lack of available, appropriate resource families and living placements, poor selection or supervision of placements, failed reunification efforts, crises in placements, and changes in the permanency plan for the child, among many other possible factors, contribute to the reality that youth face an average of one to two placement changes per year while in out-of-home placement, in addition to their initial move upon entering care. Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act [McKinney-Vento Act] provides rights and services that are specifically designed to prevent these troubling consequences by increasing the school stability of youth experiencing homelessness and of a subset of children who are awaiting foster care placement. The McKinney-Vento Act is a federal law designed to increase the school enrollment, attendance, and educational success of children and youth experiencing homelessness. However, the Act's funding level results in only 6% of school districts nationwide receiving McKinney-Vento funds, although every school district must designate a homeless liaison and ensure that McKinney-Vento eligible students are identified, enrolled, and receiving the support they need to succeed in school.

Table of Contents

Abstractii

Introduction1

Evolution of McKinley-Vento Act & legislation aspects2

McKinley-Vento Act Benefits & homeless5

Economic Perspective to homeless6

Sociological Perspective to homeless8

Psychological Perspective and Impact on the Homelessness9

Conclusion12

References16

PRO for the McKinley-Vento Act

Introduction

The McKinney-Vento Act is a federal law designed to increase the school enrollment, attendance, and success of children and youth experiencing homelessness. The McKinney-Vento Act was passed in 1987 and reauthorized as part of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001(Richard, 2012). It is the only federal law dedicated specifically to supporting the educational success of students in homeless situations. Essentially, the McKinney-Vento Act requires that state and local education agencies provide students experiencing homelessness with school access and support their attendance and success(Rosenheck, 2012). The cornerstone of the McKinney-Vento Act is school stability: Students who are homeless can remain in one school, even if their temporary living situation is located in another school district or attendance area, as long as remaining in that school is in their best interest. The school is known as the school of origin, defined as the school ...