Homeless/Transitional Housing Assistance: McKinney-Vento
Highland School District is committed to providing a quality
public education for all its students. The McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and
Youth Assistance Act is a federal law that ensures immediate enrollment, equal
access to educational opportunities, and educational stability for homeless
children and youth.
The McKinney-Vento Act defines
homeless children as “individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate
nighttime residence.” The act provides examples of children who would fall
under this definition:
· Children sharing housing
(doubling up with relatives or friends) due to economic hardship or loss of
housing or similar reason.
· Children living in motels,
hotels, trailer parks, or campgrounds due to lack of alternative accommodations
· Children living in
emergency or transitional shelters
· Children whose primary
nighttime residence is not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation
(e.g. park benches, etc.)
· Children living in cars,
parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train
stations
· Migratory children living in any of the above circumstances
We know that living in any one of the above situations can
be extremely stressful. The Highland
School District has a McKinney-Vento coordinator who is available to assist
families with immediate school enrollment, to help connect families with local
resources, to ensure students receive free breakfast and lunch, and to
encourage students to become involved in school by participating in sports,
clubs, activities, and/or after school tutoring. Financial help is available for sports/school
fees, school supplies, and other essential items as the need arises. Any student who becomes homeless during the
school year and moves to a neighboring school district has the right to
continue their education at Highland, if it is determined to be in their best
interest. Highland and the neighboring
school district would work together to provide transportation, free of charge
to the student. Contact Rebecca Kok,
Highland’s McKinney-Vento coordinator, at 678-8793 or rkok@highland.wednet.edu if you have
any questions or concerns.
RESOURCES The
attached is a community resource guide for the Yakima Valley that includes
listings for housing, food banks, medical/dental/mental health clinics, and
many more. Calling 2-1-1 is also a great
social service resource that anyone can call and talk to a person that can give
guidance and information as to which local agency would be the most helpful for
the specific need in question; this service is available Monday – Friday, 8:00
am – 5:00 pm.

Community Resource Guide McKinney Vento.pdf