The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

Context

Subtitle VII-B of The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act authorizes the federal Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Program and is the primary piece of federal legislation related to the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness. It was reauthorized in December 2015 by Title IX, Part A, of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Legislation

View the full text of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (Title IX, Part A of ESSA).
View the McKinney-Vento Definition of Homelessness (legislative excerpt).
View McKinney-Vento subgrant funding authorized activities (legislative excerpt).

Regulations & Guidance

Download the Education for Homeless Children and Youths Program: Non-Regulatory Guidance (updated August 2018)
Download Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Plans (June 2018)
Download the U.S Department of Education Fact Sheet: Supporting the Success of Homeless Children and Youths (July 27, 2016)
Download the U.S. Department of Education Dear Colleague Letter: Educational Rights of Homeless Children and Youths (Secretary John King; July 27, 2016)
Download the U.S. Department of Education Guidelines: McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youths Program (Federal Register, March 17, 2016)

Resources

Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Federal Program Profile

This two-page profile provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Education’s federal Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Program. Topics include: A Brief History of The McKinney-Vento Act; Rights of Eligible Children and Youth; Funding History; Funding for States and School Districts; Program Administrative Structure; Homeless Student Enrollment Data; National Homeless Student Academic Performance Data; Interagency Collaboration; and Program Contact Information.
Download the EHCY federal program profile.

The Most Frequently Asked Questions on the Education Rights of Children and Youth in Homeless Situations

This document, created collaboratively by the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP), and updated in October 2017, provides answers to many of the most frequently asked questions on the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and the educational rights of children and youth in homeless situations.
Download The Most Frequently Asked Questions on the Education Rights of Children and Youth in Homeless Situations.