Temporary Housing Services

District 65 guarantees certain rights to assist children and youth experiencing homeless in their efforts to attend school.

Board of Education Policy 6.140 - Education of Homeless Children

Please refer to the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Board of Education policy 6.140 outlining the education of homeless children within the district.

Choice of Schools

Each student identified as being homeless has the right to attend either the school of origin or the local attendance area school.

School of Origin: The school attended prior to the loss of permanent housing or the last school in which the child or youth was enrolled.

Local Attendance Area School: The public school where the child is presently living that any student who lives in the attendance area is eligible to attend.

Efforts will be made to keep the child in the school of origin whenever possible, unless the parent/guardian prefers a local attendance area school or if remaining in the school of origin is not in the child's best interest. After the family does find a permanent home, the child can remain in the school of origin until the end of that academic year.

School choice decisions should ALWAYS be student-centered and made on an individualized basis. Some important factors to consider include:

• child's age
• distance of travel to school - including the impact this commute might have on the child's educational experience
• personal safety
• any needs for specialized instruction or supports
• anticipated length of stay in a temporary living situation
• time remaining in the school year
• the importance of stability

The school of origin is the first option to consider when looking at which school is in the child's best interest because this school offers the most stability for the student.

Stability is crucial for academic success - every time a student changes schools he or she has the potential to lose 4-6 months of academic and developmental progress. For any student, changing schools can have major effects on students' academic, social, and emotional development. For children and youth experiencing homelessness, these effects can become even more substantial when combined with the other changes happening in their environment.

The district homeless liaisons will provide families with information to help them determine which school might be best for their child. The school of origin will be the school of choice whenever possible.

Immediate Enrollment

The right to immediate enrollment is designed to make sure that the child is attending school, which is the ultimate goal of McKinney-Vento.

It is important to note that the term "enrollment" applies BOTH to attending classes and participating fully in school activities.

Any child or youth experiencing homelessness has the right to enroll in the school of choice immediately even if he or she does not have the records/documents/information required for enrollment. These documents may include the following:

• medical records, including immunization records*
• proof of residency
• proof of guardianship
• previous school records

The school may ask for an address or phone number at which the school could contact the caregiver if needed. Any information the parent, guardian, or caregiver does share on enrollment will remain confidential.

*NOTE: District 65 schools do require students to have certain immunizations on record by enrollment in certain grades. A lack of immunization records will NOT prevent homeless students from enrolling in school. However, school staff should direct these students to the homeless liaison who can assist the family in obtaining the records or in getting the immunizations required.

Transportation

Those children who are enrolled in their school of origin have the right to receive transportation to and from that school, even if they would have to travel across school district attendance boundaries.

The parent, guardian, or caregiver should work with the district's homeless liaison to arrange transportation with all the school districts involved (the one of the school of origin and the one where the student is presently living).

Students who attend their local attendance area school may NOT necessarily be entitled to transportation assistance to and from that school unless the district already provides transportation options for non-homeless students. If transportation is an option, students identified as being homeless must meet the same criteria as any other student to receive transportation.

If the appropriate school placement has not been determined, the child must be provided transportation to the school of origin until the placement decision has been made.

Fee Waivers

Students experiencing homelessness have the right to receive fee waivers for certain school-related expenses.

Schools often have mandatory annual fees as well as charges for events throughout the school year. Not every student's family may be able to afford these costs, but that factor alone should not prevent any student from being able to fully participate in school activities.

These waivers may cover the following items:

• breakfast/lunch programs
• textbooks
• instructional materials
• fees for use of school property (locks, towels, lab equipment, etc.)
• fees for field trips made during the school day or after school hours if the trip is a required or customary of a class or extracurricular activity
• fees or deposits for uniforms or equipment related to sports or fine arts programs
• fees to participate in extracurricular activities
• fees for supplies required for a particular class
• school record fees
• school health service fees

Not all charges must be waived. Some exceptions include the following:

• typical school supplies (pencil, paper, notebooks, etc.)
• library fines and other charges made for the loss, misuse, or destruction of school property
• fees for the purchase of yearbooks, pictures, or other similar items
• fees for optional travel with a school club or group of students outside school hours
• fees for admission to school dances, athletic events, or other social events

All students who qualify for free/reduced lunches or breakfasts are entitled to these fee waivers. The district homeless liaisons will work with low-income and homeless children to make sure the appropriate fees are waived.

Program Participation

The student's right to enroll in school includes the opportunity to fully particpate in programs offered at the school and receive any support services, such as special education, if necessary.

School districts have the responsibility to create an "equal playing field" that allows all students to access all educational services and extracurricular opportunities available to students in their schools. The services provided for children experiencing homelessness (outside the ones required by law that were listed above) must be comparable to those available to other students.

For example, if a child experiencing homelessness attends the local area attendance school, that school would only have to provide transportation options consistent with the options given to other students in the school.

The fee waivers listed above are one way schools can remove a barrier to receiving educational services and to participating in extracurricular activities.

Students experiencing homelessness are entitled to receive any specialized supports or instruction available to other students in the school, including special education and related services. The students must still qualify for these services under IDEA or Section 504.

The district homeless liaison will be able to assist staff and families in understanding what services are available and how students can benefit from them.

By law, students experiencing homelessness have the fundamental right to enroll in, get to, stay in, and be successful in school while they or their families are between permanent housing. Any decisions made regarding school choices, services, or other needed supports will be made in the child's best interest.

District 65 has certain responsibilities for serving students experiencing homelessness that are designed to minimize any educational disruption and provide supports for students currently undergoing a series of major transitions. These duties are specified by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

Community Outreach

Every school district must provide information about the rights of and services for homeless children and youth throughout the community and the district's schools. This information should include school choices, transportation options, and contact information for the homeless liaison and any other relevant district personnel. It is important for this information to be visible in places where families and children experiencing homelessness are served. Some locations might include but are not limited to schools, shelters, public aid offices, food pantries, public libraries, court houses, and police stations.

School personnel (the homeless liaison, typically) must also make sure special attention is given to locating children experiencing homelessness. Community outreach is designed to help community members become familiar with the signs of homelessness and to communicate the rights of homeless children and youth in schools to families experiencing homelessness and to the people who already work with them. When more people have this information, it becomes more likely that a child experiencing homelessness will be able to enroll in and attend school on a regular basis.

Student Identification

Schools can choose to identify students experiencing homelessness in many different ways. Most often eligibility is determined on registration at the beginning of the school year, but even if a student becomes homeless during the year, they are still eligible for services under McKinney-Vento.

Schools must protect the family's privacy and make sure they do not jeopardize the family's current housing arrangement when determining if students are eligible for services. Some of the best ways to identify students go along with community outreach:

• Providing annual awareness and sensitivity training to all school staff and support personnel, including professional development opportunities in learning how to identify and work with students experiencing homelessness
• Develop relationships with community agencies to assist in identifying homeless students who may need help accessing the school system or in confirming students' living arrangements in a non-invasive manner
• Talk to all parents, caregivers, and youth directly or through a general questionnaire about their living situation.

The first step is always to get the facts about the family's or youth's situation. Then, these facts are used to determine if the student will be eligible for McKinney-Vento services:

• Does the child or youth's living situation fit into one of the specific examples of homelessness listed in the law?
• If the situation does not fit one of the examples provided directly, is the child or youth in another type of situation that is not fixed, regular, and adequate?
• Always seek additional input if uncertain about eligibility.

It is important that children and youth experiencing homelessness are identified by school personnel because these students are guaranteed services by law that the school is responsible for providing. In order to comply fully with the McKinney-Vento Act, school districts must make sure they are appropriately identifying students in their attendance areas. No matter the methods used to identify students as homeless it is important that the identification is done so sensitively.

Choice of Schools

Each student identified as being homeless has the right to attend either the school of origin or the local attendance area school.

School of Origin: The school attended prior to the loss of permanent housing or the last school in which the child or youth was enrolled.

Local Attendance Area School: The public school where the child is presently living that any student who lives in the attendance area is eligible to attend.

School districts have a responsibility to keep the child in the school of origin whenever possible, unless the parent/guardian prefers a local attendance-area school.

School districts must continue the child's or youth's education in the school of origin whenever feasible:

• If a family becomes homeless between school years or during the current school year, the child or youth may remain in the school of origin for the duration of homelessness.
• If a family does find a permanent home, the child or youth may remain at the school of origin until the end of the current school year.

School choice decisions should ALWAYS be student-centered and made on an individualized basis. Some important factors to consider include:

• Child's age
• Distance of travel to school - including the impact this commute might have on the child's educational experience
• Personal safety
• Any needs for specialized instruction or supports
• Anticipated length of stay in a temporary living situation
• Time remaining in the school year
• The importance of stability
• The school of origin is the first option to consider when looking at which school is in the child's best interest because this school offers the most stability for the student.
• Every decision must be made in the best interest of the child.

For important decision-making consideration for school placement, click here.

Immediate Enrollment

School districts have the responsibility to enroll any child experiencing (or suspected of experiencing) homelessness immediately, even if they lack the required enrollment documents.

It is important to note that the term "enrollment" applies BOTH to attending classes and participating in school activities.

Any child or youth experiencing homelessness has the right to enroll in the school of choice immediately even if he/she/they does not have the records/documents/information required for enrollment. These documents may include the following:

• medical records, including immunization records*
• proof of residency
• proof of guardianship
• previous school records
• birth certificate

*Note on immunizations: District 65 schools do require students to have certain immunizations on record by enrollment in certain grades. A lack of immunization records will NOT prevent homeless students from enrolling in school. However, school staff should direct these students to the homeless liaison who can assist the family in obtaining the records or in getting the immunizations required.

School districts must also enroll children or youth whose caregivers are not the parents or legal guardians. Additionally, the absence of any caregiver must NOT affect enrollment. Unaccompanied, homeless youth must be enrolled immediately, and the local homeless education liaison must act to identify and support these students.

To obtain school records, the enrolling school must request them from the previous school. Students must remain enrolled while records are being retrieved.

School districts must review and revise any policies, websites, forms, and other items that might act as barriers to enrollment for children and youth experiencing homelessness. This review will include how information about the rights of homeless students is being made available to the public in addition to enrollment and attendance procedures.

Transportation

School districts must provide transportation to children and youth experiencing homelessness who are enrolled in the school of origin.

The parent, guardian, or caregiver should make a good-faith effort to provide or arrange for transportation, but it is ultimately the school district's duty to make sure appropriate transportation is provided. If the child's living situation takes him/her outside the attendance boundaries for the school district of origin, the two districts involved must agree upon the sharing of responsibility and cost for transportation.

Students who attend their local attendance area school may NOT necessarily be entitled to transportation assistance to and from that school unless the district already provides transportation options for non-homeless students. If transportation is an option, students identified as being homeless must meet the same criteria as any other student to receive transportation.

If the appropriate school placement has not been determined, the school district must provide transportation to the school of origin until the placement decision has been made.

Ensure Access to School Programs

The student's right to enroll in school includes the opportunity to fully participate in programs offered at the school and receive any support services, such as special education, if necessary.

School districts have the responsibility to create an "equal playing field" that allows all students to access all educational services and extracurricular opportunities available to students in their schools. The services provided for children experiencing homelessness must be comparable to those available to other students.

Students experiencing homelessness are entitled to receive any specialized supports or instruction available to other students in the school. These services include the following:

• Transportation
• Title I services**
• Special education and related services**
• ELL/ESL programs**
• Gifted and talented programs
• School nutrition programs

**Students must meet eligibility criteria to receive these services.

School districts can ensure access to school programs through a variety of different methods:

• Fee waivers, including free or reduced breakfast and lunch
• Transportation
• Special education identification procedures that are sensitive to the unique, changing school experiences for children and youth experiencing homelessness
• Coordinating services with community agencies to make sure students can access the school programs and activities

The district homeless liaison will be able to assist staff and families in understanding what services are available and how students can benefit from them.

Educating School Community

School districts should provide ongoing training and support to their school staff to ensure that their schools are able to meet the requirements under McKinney-Vento and state homeless education laws.

Teachers and other school staff should be aware of the different signs of homelessness. With this awareness, they will be able to help identify students who may be entitled to McKinney-Vento services. School staff should also know how to refer these students to district administrators and the homeless liaison to make sure appropriate services are provided.

Different staff members fill different roles both in the school and in students' lives. It is important that they are confident and understand the resources they have available to them that will help them to serve their students who are currently experiencing homelessness.

School districts must also collect data related to homeless children and youth. This data should also allow them to evaluate the efforts made by the school district to serve children and youth experiencing homelessness.

The goal in this process is to make sure that children and youth experiencing homelessness feel safe and welcome in the school environment. School staff who understand the situations their students face will be better equipped to work with them.

Some helpful resources for staff can be found through these organizations:

• National Center for Homeless Education
• ISBE Homeless Education
• National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
  Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program
• Guidance on Homeless Children with Disabilities

Coordinating Programs and Services

Coordination involves the school district working both with local social services and other agencies that provide services to children and youth experiencing homelessness and other school districts. These children and youth often need other resources that go beyond what the school district can provide but are just as important as allowing the child to be able to attend and succeed in school.

The purpose of coordinating services is to make sure that homeless children and youth have access to available education and related support services. This practice also raises awareness of the effect of the challenges associated with experiencing homelessness as a child or youth.

Coordination of programs and services can look many different ways. School districts should develop relationships with and coordinate with agencies providing various types of support to families and youth experiencing homelessness. Some agencies to consider include the following shelters, transitional housing facilities, domestic violence agencies, runaway and homeless youth centers, and public and private social services (i.e. Illinois Department of Human Services).

Coordination practices can help school districts better identify children and youth experiencing homelessness as well as connecting these families to community services available (food stamps, Medicaid, employment services, etc.)

Dispute Resolution Procedures

School districts must have a process in place for resolving any disputes between the district and any homeless child, youth, parent, or guardian. Disputes may arise over things such as enrollment or transportation. The dispute resolution procedures include the following:

• a process for immediately enrolling the student and arranging for any necessary transportation for the duration of the dispute;
• a discussion with the parent, guardian, or youth and the homeless education liaison to see if providing more information can resolve the issues;
• a letter explaining the district's position, making referrals to free/reduced cost legal help, and outlining the dispute resolution procedures;
• a fair and impartial individual familiar with the educational rights and needs of homeless children;
• an opportunity for both sides to present their case; and
• an opportunity for the decision to be reviewed by the State

Appoint Local Homeless Education Liaison

Each school district is responsible for appointing a local homeless education liaison who is trained on the liaison's duties specified by McKinney-Vento and who is available to families to implement the requirements of McKinney-Vento.

The liaison will ensure the following:

• Children and youth experiencing homelessness are sensitively identified by school personnel, whether currently enrolled in school or not yet attending school.
• If necessary, they will aid the child or youth in accessing the appropriate school.
• These children and youth enroll in and have a full and equal opportunity to succeed in the district's schools.
• Homeless families' children and youth receive all the educational services for which they are eligible, including Head Start and preschool programs as well as referrals for healthcare, dental care, mental health, and other appropriate services.
• Parents and guardians of homeless children and youth are informed about the district's educational services and opportunities and are given meaningful opportunities to participate in their child's education.
• Public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youth is disseminated in places where families experiencing homelessness are served.
• Disputes between the school district and homeless parents are handled in accordance with applicable law and the dispute resolution procedures.
• Parents or guardians of children and youth experiencing homelessness are fully informed of all the transportation services available and are assisted in accessing transportation to the school that is selected.
• Staff coordinate and collaborate with personnel responsible for the provision of related services to homeless children and youth.
• Special attention is given to locating and enrolling homeless children and youth not currently in school.

Evanston and Skokie Community Services and Resources

District 65 schools are dedicated to providing any necessary services that will guarantee access to a free and appropriate public education. These services include the following:

• Transportation to and from the school of origin
• Fee waivers (Note: These waivers do not include traditional school supplies. The child's school may be able to connect families with other resources should assistance be needed in getting these items.)
• Enrollment assistance
• Connections to community services and resources

Community Resources

Organizations throughout the Evanston and Skokie communities can help students succeed in school by providing services to meet needs that affect the well-being of children and youth both in and out of the classroom. These organizations include the following:

Evanston Shelters and Soup Kitchens
Several organizations throughout Evanston offer meals and shelters during the day. Clothing and nonperishable food items are also distributed throughout the week. Information about overnight shelters and drop-in services for employment assistance can also be found here.

Evanston LAN
The mission of the Evanston Local Area Network (LAN) is to assure an effective, well-coordinated system of services for the children, youth, and families of Evanston. The members of the network seek to improve and coordinate service provision to the Evanston community. The network strives to support community-based services that build on a family’s strengths and focus on helping youth remain at home in their communities and local schools. They are highly committed to advocate for children, youth, and their families.

Evanston Community Development Corporation
The Evanston Community Development Corporation (ECDC) is committed to reaching out to the community to learn of specific needs and determine how to best address those needs. Currently, their focus is on connecting Evanston community members to affordable housing and providing workforce development opportunities. ECDC does not provide direct services. They refer community members to local service providers.

Skokie Low Income and Emergency Housing Assistance
The Village of Skokie provides a list of social and government agencies that provide assistance to community members looking for low-income or transitional housing.

Connections for the Homeless
Connections for the Homeless provides housing, employment, and outreach and supportive services for individuals currently experiencing homelessness. They also work to help families prevent homelessness by working with them to avoid eviction or foreclosure. Their services include re-housing programs, an overnight shelter, job readiness training and counseling, and health services.

Interfaith Action of Evanston
Interfaith Action of Evanston works with diverse communities and individuals to promote social justice by addressing issues of poverty, unemployment, homelessness, and hunger. Interfaith Action is made up of several organizations that provide services like soup kitchens and food distribution, warming centers, and hospitality centers.

Caring Outreach by Parents in Evanston
Caring Outreach by Parents in Evanston (C.O.P.E.) provides assistance for Evanston families who are in temporary transition, including those transitions related to economic hardships. C.O.P.E. is a network of volunteers who are housed at Evanston schools. They work to connect Evanston residents to one another and help direct families to community organizations and resources.

Homeless Prevention Program
The Homeless Prevention Program is provided by the Family and Community Services Division of the Illinois Department of Human Services. The program can provide eligible individuals and families with rental assistance, utility assistance, and supportive services such as job preparation and counseling. Eligible families are those who are in danger of eviction, foreclosure, or homelessness or are already homeless.