Homeless Children and Youth
Homeless Children and Youth Act
The McKinney-Vento Education Assistance Act of 2001, (Public Law 107-110), ensures the education of homeless children and youth. The BBFASD recognizes its obligation to ensure that all homeless students have access to the same educational programs and services provided to the other children in the district. The BBFASD staff work with families, parents, students to identify the homeless children in our school district and eliminate existing barriers to their attendance and education in compliance with federal and state laws.
Under the Pennsylvania Education for Homeless Children and Youth State Plan, homeless children are defined as “children living with a parent in a domestic violence shelter; runaway children and children, and youth who have been abandoned or forced out of their home by parents or other caretakers; and school-aged parents living in houses for school-aged parents if they have no other available living accommodations.”
The McKinney-Vento Act states that it is the policy of Congress that state educational agencies shall ensure that each child of a homeless individual and each homeless youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as provided to other children and youths 42 U.S.C. § 11431. Specifically, 42 U.S.C. § 11432(g) (3) (A) indicates that the local educational agency (LEA) shall, according to the child’s best interest.
For more information regarding the McKinney-Vento Education Assistance Improvement Act of 2001, please contact the BBFASD Homeless Coordinator, Joyce Depenhart, at depenhartj@tigerweb or 724-843-3420 extension 1213.
Surrogate Parents
The BBFASD has a program that provides surrogate parents for children who are homeless or a ward of the state. These volunteers act as advocates for the student and help them make educational decisions.