The McKinney-Vento Act and Children and Youth ... - State of Michigan

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6. Implementing procedures for schools and child welfare agencies to share information in order to deliver timely, effective services to children in care “ The schools have to be informed that a child is in foster care and know what to do with that information. Otherwise, the students are not benefiting from all the great supportive services schools offer. If we know they are in foster care, we can make sure they have what they need and help them to feel comfortable in our schools.” — Kathi Sheffel 50 Both children in out-of-home care and child welfare agencies sometimes are hesitant to share information with a school’s staff about a child’s personal family situation. Many youth have experienced inappropriate treatment by school staff when information about being in care has been revealed. This can lead to a lack of trust and a fear to share information with schools. Much of that discrimination is due to a lack of understanding and training by school staff on the experiences of children in out-of-home care. Professional development for school staff to increase sensitivity about youth in care would help prevent inappropriate treatment and alleviate some of the hesitation to share information. McKinney-Vento program staff are accustomed to the need for discretion and sensitivity regarding eligible students. Therefore, they are the ideal first stop for interactions between child welfare and schools. McKinney-Vento program staff can help ensure that youth in out-of-home care receive the legal rights they deserve and the educational services they need, including: • The right to remain in one school despite placement changes, providing critical school stability • Transportation to school • Immediate access to school despite lacking school records or other documents • Immediate access to school activities • Support from school counselors and school social workers • Immediate access to school uniforms, shoes, and supplies 44 The McKinney-Vento Act and Children and Youth Awaiting Foster Care Placement
• Immediate access to free school meals • Academic support, such as tutoring and credit recovery programs • Special education and related services, as needed • Sensitive and respectful treatment by teachers, administrators, and other school staff Schools cannot provide these services if no one at the school knows a student is in out-of-home care and eligible for the McKinney-Vento Act’s protections. Unfortunately, all the homeless education liaisons interviewed described being notified about youth in care as “hit or miss.” In their experience, many youth were not receiving the full benefits of the McKinney-Vento Act simply because the liaisons did not know about the youth. In other cases, youth were forced to wait for the child welfare system to provide services that are available immediately through the homeless liaison. For example, many McKinney-Vento programs can provide school supplies and clothing to eligible children immediately, while obtaining such services through the child welfare system often forces youth to wait for days or weeks for vouchers to be issued and approved and purchases to be made. Children who receive McKinney-Vento services are also able to receive free school meals immediately, rather than waiting for someone to complete and submit an application. For children in out-of-home care, the child welfare system, rather than schools, is the primary agency designed to meet such basic needs as clothing and school supplies. It is important to work with child welfare agencies in reforming protocols so youth receive these items quickly. However, schools can provide critical support to youth in care by providing these services on an immediate, interim basis. Child welfare agencies could then replenish the items supplied by McKinney-Vento programs, to ensure that schools have adequate supplies for those students who are homeless and without an agency responsible for their care. “The problem is that you come into care with nothing, and clothing vouchers can take a few weeks. We ended up wearing the same clothes for a few weeks.” — Amanda Metivier 51 Additionally, one of the most important services that homeless liaisons Strategies for Improving Educational Outcomes through School Stability 45
Page 1 and 2: BUILDING FUTURES THROUGH EDUCATION
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents Executive Summary
Page 5 and 6: Executive Summary “ Education was
Page 7 and 8: meeting the child’s unique needs,
Page 9 and 10: Treat youth in out-ofhome care with
Page 11 and 12: Educational Challenges of Homelessn
Page 13 and 14: This residential instability too of
Page 15 and 16: • As many as three-quarters of ol
Page 17 and 18: Overview of the McKinney-Vento Act
Page 19 and 20: (iii) children and youths who are l
Page 21 and 22: From Law into Practice: Strategies
Page 23 and 24: Public Schools, it took three years
Page 25 and 26: • Create an interagency task forc
Page 27 and 28: ENSURING REGULAR INTERAGENCY CONTAC
Page 29 and 30: and roundtable discussions with sch
Page 31 and 32: stakeholders to the table, such as
Page 33 and 34: Massachusetts • “Temporary, tra
Page 35 and 36: To summarize from narrower to broad
Page 37 and 38: for the duration of the school year
Page 39 and 40: they will be better able to manage
Page 41 and 42: 4. Ensure that education and child
Page 43 and 44: Whether they function as employees
Page 45 and 46: WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENROLLING TH
Page 47: WHO ARRANGES TRANSPORTATION? The lo
Page 51 and 52: The program manager is now working
Page 53 and 54: circumstances will exchanged inform
Page 55 and 56: “ I had an amazing caseworker fro
Page 57 and 58: From Practice into Law: Policy Reco
Page 59 and 60: 2. Amend federal and state child we
Page 61 and 62: 6. Implement procedures for schools
Page 63 and 64: Conclusion As the efforts of jurisd
Page 65 and 66: References Advocates for Children o
Page 67 and 68: Robertson, M., & Toro, P. (1999). H
Page 69 and 70: APPENDIX List of Interviewees Autho
Page 71 and 72: Endnotes 1 Personal communication,
Page 73 and 74: 26 Burley, M., & Halpern, M. (2001)
Page 76: For additional information, please

The McKinney-Vento Act and Children and Youth ... - State of Michigan

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