Foster/Homeless�Education

District Homeless Contact – Tia Williams

tiwilliams@dcboe.com

Foster/Homeless Liaison & Office of Federal Programs – Chip Davis- cdavis@dcboe.com

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Foster/McKinney Vento Act Training

August 1,2024

DEFINITION OF HOMELESS

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Children who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence ----

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1. Live in emergency transitional shelters; FEMA trailer; all foster children awaiting placement

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2. Sharing housing due to loss of housing, economic hardship or similar reason (are not contributing to household daily expenses)

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DEFINITION OF HOMELESS

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3. Abandoned in hospital; living in car; primary nighttime residence that is a private or public place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation;

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OR

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4. Live in hotel/motel, camp grounds or trailer park due to alternative adequate housing.

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What is Foster?

• The U.S. Department of Education remains committed to supporting your efforts to ensure that students in foster care are afforded the rights and protections guaranteed under the Elementaryand Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). As you know, under the ESEA, each LEA must:
• • Designate a staff member to serve as the State’s foster care point of contact, who is
• responsible for both ongoing collaboration with the State’s child welfare agency and
• implementation of the ESEA’s foster care requirements.
• • Collaborate with State child welfare agencies to ensure that students in foster care remain
• in their respective “schools of origin” unless a determination is made that attending a
• school of origin is not in the best interest of a student.
• • Ensure that, when a school change is warranted, students in foster care are immediately
• enrolled in their new schools, even if they cannot produce enrollment documents and
• school records normally required for enrollment.
• • Ensure that local education and child welfare agencies collaborate to implement written
• procedures governing how transportation to schools of origin will be provided, arranged,
• and funded for the duration of a student’s time in foster care.
• • Report (annually) on student achievement and graduation rates for students in foster care.

Foster Care

• he Foster Care Program focuses on school access, improved educational outcomes, and enhanced academic stability for children and youth in foster care. The provisions derived from the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) establish guidelines for recognizing and addressing the unique needs of foster care children and youth. The Foster Care Program has the responsibility of working closely with local child welfare agencies and local educational agencies to identify children and youth in foster care and to ensure the successful implementation of ESSA provisions.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Social Emotional

• New legislation may require for Foster students to under go a Social Emotional Evaluation to see if their placement is appropriate.
• We must support these students, just as we would a homeless student.

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ADDITIONAL DEFINITION: Unaccompanied Youth

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A youth not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian, who is in transition as defined in the previous two screens.

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CHARACTERISTICS THAT DEFINE UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH

Basic Need of Housing

Unemployment

Lack of Family Support

No Financial Stability

Poor Personal Hygiene

Mental Health Issues

Poor emotional well-being

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DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY

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Examine on a case-by-case basis

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New Students – all registering students complete Eligibility Questionnaire

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Back to School Packets – Eligibility Questionnaire for all returning students

Enrolled Students – If you suspect a student is homeless complete social worker referral, check homeless and give information to your building level contact. Please provide as many details as possible that are homeless indicators.

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Enrolled Students- If you suspect a student to be Foster, please contact the Office of Federal Programs at 229-248-2835 or email: cdavis@dcboe.com

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A student is Foster/HOMELESS, now WHAT?

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• Enroll and register even if they do not have appropriate documentation. Referral should be made and family has 30 days to provide documentation. We must assist them in securing their documentation. NEW: Document dates: 1) when family comes to enroll and 2)when student is in attendance

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• Maintain School of Origin – contact Davis/Williams

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• Provide equitable transportation – contact Davis/Williams
• Provide access to Title I Services – all of our schools are Title I so no matter where a student in Decatur County enrolls, they will receive Title I Services.

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• School Nutrition – Even with CEP (all students eat free), we still have to report the student to the nutrition department.

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• Coordination of Services – The law requires us to make sure that homeless students have access to an appropriate and equitable public education. When students have needs, please utilize all school and community resources to meet them. We will continue to work with families on a case by case situation to ensure that compliance with the Decatur County Homeless Policy is met.

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• Check Infinite Campus – Student Enrollment Information to see if other factors apply

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• Teach Them in your classrooms- treat all students as if they aren’t MVP.

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• Foster Rights will be given to contacts to maintain records of foster students

Who do we tell?

• Chip/Tia will notify the school of origin.
• The Foster/MVP contact will then notify the following in a manor that will not impact the student or FERPA:
• The principal & School Administration
• The Teachers of the student
• The School office staff

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Please remember the rules of FERPA. IF you have question about who can be told…. CALL!

FACE of a Foster/Homeless Student

• Barriers Faced
• Identification
• Enrollment/School of Origin
• Retention/High mobility
• Meals
• Transportation
• Dispute Resolution
• Unaccompanied Youth

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• School Provides
• Structure
• Routine/consistency/ stability
• Meals
• Caring adults
• Healthcare/social services
• Socialization and friendships
• Skills needed to escape poverty and realize dreams

McKinney Vento funding- EZRA Jack Keats Grant

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Budget items for Title 1:

Transportation

Fees for Documents

Supplies

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Contributions/Donations

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Partner with Still Waters Shelter/ Salvation Army/ Goodwill/ Sheriffs Association

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Continue Collaboration with multiple community partners to identify and serve foster/homeless population

Homeless Numbers

Identified 2013-2014

94 Homeless Students

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Identified 2014-15

98 Homeless Students

Identified 2015-16

109 Homeless Students

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Identified 2016-17

68 Homeless Students

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Identified 2017-2018

74 Homeless Students

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Identified in 2018-2019

54 Homeless Students

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Identified in 2019-2020

41 Homeless Students

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Identified in 2020-2021

20 Homeless Students

Foster/HOMELESS Education

• For all FORMS and additional guidance go to Decatur County Board of Education website –
• JBC(1)-R(1)
• Policy can be viewed in its entirety at www.dcboe.com
• Click ON:

Board Policies

J. Students

Homeless

• Federal Programs link on www.dcboe.com
• Chip Davis- cdavis@dcboe.com
• Tia Williams- twilliams@dcboe.com

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