Transcript Document 7226995

2010 SWASFAA FALL CONFERENCE
Education of Homeless Children and Youth Program,
NCLB Title X
Presenter: Laverne Dunn
December 16, 2010
STUDENT CENTERED, DATA DRIVEN PROGRAMS :
•District-wide leadership and supportive culture
•Effective Homeless Liaison
•Stay at the school of origin, or immediate
enrollment
•Policies, procedures and forms
•Dispute resolution
•Training
•Transportation
•Outreach
•Cooperation and collaboration
•Willingness to listen and to change
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Since determination of homeless status is not an
exercise of professional judgment or a
dependency override, it is a good practice for
students to be able to contest determinations
made by financial aid administrators.
Unaccompanied homeless youth may also appeal
a determination directly to the U.S. Department
of Education
Over half of callers to Runaway Hotline report
being physically abused at home; over one-third
report sexual abuse; over two-thirds report that at
least one of their parents abuses drugs or alcohol
• Other youth are thrown out because they are
pregnant, gay or lesbian, or because their parents
believe they are old enough to take care of
themselves
• Some youth are abandoned, or are on their own
due to death of parents
• Some youth are in homeless due to parental
incarceration, illness, or hospitalization
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Over half of youth living in shelters report that their
parents either told them to leave, or knew they
were leaving and did not care
Natural disasters cause youth to be separated from
family during their homelessness
Many youth age out of foster care into
homelessness; run away from foster care
placements due to abuse in the foster home, or to
reconnect with siblings and family
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An estimated 1.6-1.7 million unaccompanied
youth each year
Public schools identified and enrolled over
956,914 homeless children/youth in 2008-2009
(includes children in intact families) – SEE LA
This is a 41% increase over the past two years
The increase for unaccompanied youth was even
greater (69%) over the same period (data is
from districts with federal subgrants only)
Homelessness continues to increase due to
economic downturn, housing crisis, etc
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The College Cost Reduction and Access Act
(CCRAA) and the Higher Education Opportunity
Act (HEOA) include a definition of
homelessness that matches the definition of
homelessness in the education subtitle of the
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act,
which governs public schools
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Identical definition is in the Child Nutrition Act,
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,
the Head Start Act, and the Violence Against
Women Act
Children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and
adequate nighttime residence –
– Sharing the housing of others due to loss of
housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason
(82 % of students identified by public schools
in 2009-2010)
– Living motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping
grounds due to lack of adequate alternative
accommodations (2% of students identified by
public schools in 2009-2010)
– Living in emergency or transitional shelters (6%
of students identified by public schools in 20092010)
– Awaiting foster care placement
(state and local interpretations vary)
– Living in a public or private place not
designed for humans to live
– Living in cars, parks, abandoned
buildings, bus or train stations, etc.
– Migratory children living in above
circumstances
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“Unaccompanied” is defined as “not
living in the physical custody of a
parent or guardian”
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An “unaccompanied homeless
youth” is therefore a youth who
meets the legal definition of
homelessness, and the legal
definition of “unaccompanied”
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Shelters are often full, turning youth away
There are no shelters in many suburban and rural
areas
Eligibility rules of shelters often exclude
unaccompanied minors
Youth may fear adult shelters
Shelters often have 30, 60, or 90 day time limits
Youth may be unaware of alternatives, fleeing in
crisis, living in over-crowded, temporary, and
sometimes unsafe environments
Higher rates of acute and chronic illness,
depression and anxiety; experiences of trauma
and loss
• Lack of support from any caring adult
• Unaccompanied youth are frequently victimized.
As many as half have been assaulted or robbed;
one in ten runaways reports being raped
• According to the National Runaway Switchboard,
5,000 unaccompanied youth die each year from
assault, illness, or suicide
• Perform lower on academic assessments, lower
graduation rates
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High mobility and frequent school changes
• Lack of a parent or guardian to sign forms
• Lack of school records and other paperwork
• Emotional crisis / mental health issues
• Employment - need to balance school and work
• Lack of transportation
• Lack of school supplies, clothing
• Fatigue, poor health, hunger
• Credit accrual policies, attendance policies
• Concerns about being captured by authorities
• Low expectations by family, school
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High school counselors may be unaware of
homeless definitions, and therefore not assist
homeless youth on the FAFSA
Youth may not know that they meet the definition
of homeless, and therefore fill out the FAFSA
incorrectly, or give up on college completely
Students who never stayed in a shelter, and were
not identified in high school, often do not know how
to request a determination from the financial aid
office
Financial aid offices may lack of awareness of
homeless definition and how to determine eligibility
Lack of collaborative relationships between school
districts, service providers, and financial aid offices
The definition of “independent student” now includes
unaccompanied homeless youth
• Must be verified as unaccompanied and homeless
during the school year when application is submitted.
• Verification must be made by:
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– a McKinney-Vento Act school district liaison
– a HUD homeless assistance program director
or their designee
– a Runaway and Homeless Youth Act program
director or their designee
– a financial aid administrator.
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Under the McKinney-Vento Act, every school
district must designate a liaison for students in
homeless situations
Responsibilities:
Ensure that children and youth in homeless
situations are identified through school and
community
Ensure that homeless students enroll in and
have full and equal opportunity to succeed in
school
Make referrals for health, mental health, and
other services, and ensure that homeless
children receive Head Start and preschool
programs administered by school districts
2009-2010 (Application period - January 1,
2009 - June 30, 2010)
Total Number of Applicants for Independent
Status - 19,490,665
Total Number of Applicants who indicated a
homeless circumstance - 47,204
•As
determined by school liaisons: 15,190
applicants - .08%
•As determined by HUD provider: 11,950 applicants
- .06%
•As determined by RHYA provider: 20,064
applicants - .10%
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The U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD)
administers funding for homeless
shelters and services under Title IV
of the McKinney-Vento Act.
These funds are distributed to
communities through a competitive
grant process.
For more information, see:
http://www.hudhre.info
•The U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services administers the Runaway and
Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) programs.
•These programs provide funding for Basic
Centers, Transitional Living Programs, and
Street Outreach Programs that serve runaway
and other unaccompanied homeless youth.
•For more information, see:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/fysb
According to the US Department of
Education’s Application and Verification
Guide, if a student does not have, and
cannot get, verification from a liaison,
RHYA provider, or HUD provider, a financial
aid administrator must make a
determination of homeless/unaccompanied
status
• This is not an exercise of professional
judgment or a dependency override
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Students who would be homeless but for
living in a dormitory are to be considered
homeless.
• Students fleeing an abusive parent and
living in a homeless situation are to be
considered homeless, even if their
parents would provide a place to live.
• Unaccompanied homeless youth may use
the school address as their own on the
FAFSA
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A documented phone call with, or a written
statement from, liaisons or HUD or RHYA-funded
shelter directors or designees, is sufficient
verification.
FAAs may accept verification from recognized
third-parties such as other private or publicly
funded homeless service providers, FAAs from
another college, college access programs,
college or high school counselors, mental health
professionals, social workers, mentors, doctors,
and clergy
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There is no federally prescribed method of
documenting unaccompanied homeless youth
status, but the documentation must
demonstrate that the student meets the legal
definition of homelessness.
FAAs should examine living situations and
make determinations of homeless status on a
case-by-case basis.
FAAs should make determinations of eligibility
based on the legal definition of homelessness
under the education subtitle of the McKinneyVento Act.
• FAAs may make a determination of eligibility on
the basis of a documented interview, if there is
no written documentation available.
• FAAs are urged to use discretion and respect
student privacy. Policy reports and Child
Protective Services reports are not necessary
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FAAs are not required to verify the answers to the
homeless questions on the FAFSA, unless there is
conflicting information.
• It is not conflicting information if an FAA disagrees
with a determination made by a liaison or HUD or
RHYA-funded shelter director or designee. The
FAA should accept the determination, but contact
relevant oversight organizations (like the state
coordinator, in the case of a determinations made
by a liaison).
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FAAs may request assistance in making
determinations of eligibility from local school
district homeless liaisons, state homeless
education coordinators, or the National Center
for Homeless Education – 1-800-308-2145 –
http://www.serve.org/nche
Verification template at http://www.naehcy.org
Loyola University – sample draft policy
http://www.loyno.edu/financialaid/homelessstudents
For More Information:
Laverne Dunn
State Coordinator - Homeless Education
Division of Student and School Learning Support
Office of Federal Programs Support
Louisiana Department of Education
E-mail: [email protected]
225-342-0153
Toll Free: 1-877-453-2721
Homeless Hotline: 1-800-259-8826
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