The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act provides a comprehensive definition of homelessness: a student is homeless if they are lacking a fixed, adequate, and regular nighttime residence. This includes students who sleep in an emergency or transitional shelter; in a motel, hotel, or campground; in a car, park, public place, bus or train station, or abandoned building; doubled-up with relative or friends due to hardship; or in these conditions and is a migratory child or youth. As of June 2023,2129, homeless children had been identified and 638 had been provided special transportation to remain in their school of origin. In addition, transportation delivered school supplies, basic needs items, and laptops to students. Of the total homeless students, 615 were identified as homeless unaccompanied youth. This term includes young people who have run away from home, been thrown out of their homes, and/or been abandoned by parents or guardians.

Project HOPE-Virginia, the Virginia Education Program for Homeless Children and Youth, reports that decreased student mobility results in increased academic achievement. For example, homeless children lose six months of their education with every school change. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act works to minimize school disruption by ensuring that homeless children have the right to remain in their schools of origin (the last school attended before becoming homeless) for the remainder of the school year, if it is in the student’s best interest to do so. Assessments State Required Procedures: To comply with state-mandated annual reporting, data is collected on the number of homeless students enrolled in FCPS, the number of homeless students served, and the type of residence at the time of identification (sheltered, unsheltered, doubled up or motel/hotel). Data is also collected on the number of homeless youths who fit the McKinney-Vento definition of homeless unaccompanied youth, migrant children, students with disabilities (IDEA) and students with limited English proficiency (LEP) as well as student attendance data.  Also reported are the frequency of meetings with local shelter providers, homeless liaison attendance at local, state, and national trainings, and compliance with the federal mandate to provide public notice in schools and shelters of the education rights of homeless children and youth. Program Procedures: Data gathered from the shelter tutoring programs is collected to analyze needed resources, allowing for appropriate modifications of the tutoring program to meet student needs. Tutors are trained to assist students and their parents in accessing individual and school Schoology accounts. The goal is to increase parent collaboration and participation in the educational process. Unaccompanied homeless youth data is analyzed in the areas of precipitating circumstances leading to homelessness, current temporary shelter, post-graduation plans, transportation needs, student age and food, medical or mental health needs.

To comply with state-mandated annual reporting, data is collected on the number of homeless students enrolled in FCPS, the number of homeless students served, and the type of residence at the time of identification (sheltered, unsheltered, doubled up or motel/hotel). Data is also collected on the number of homeless youths who fit the McKinney-Vento definition of homeless unaccompanied youth, migrant children, students with disabilities (IDEA) and students with limited English proficiency (LEP) as well as student attendance data.  Also reported are the frequency of meetings with local shelter providers, homeless liaison attendance at local, state, and national trainings, and compliance with the federal mandate to provide public notice in schools and shelters of the education rights of homeless children and youth. Program Procedures: Data gathered from the shelter tutoring programs is collected to analyze needed resources, allowing for appropriate modifications of the tutoring program to meet student needs. Unaccompanied homeless youth data is analyzed in the areas of precipitating circumstances leading to homelessness, current temporary shelter, post-graduation plans, transportation needs, student age and food, medical or mental health needs. Approved Instructional Materials Approved tutoring materials include educational games, software, and manipulatives. Reading skills are reinforced using age-appropriate books and workbooks chosen based on individual ability. College bound homeless unaccompanied youth are provided with planning materials designed to assist them with the college application process. Donated laptop computers are distributed to college bound homeless unaccompanied youth, parents, and nonprofit shelter providers for homeless families and youth when available. Communication regarding use of technology to access distance learning, as well as family/parent school engagement will be a priority. Outreach to reduce barriers to education as our community works through challenging issues will be a primary focus. Housing instability and its impact on learning will be addressed and advocacy surrounding stable and permanent housing will be an integral part of the homeless education program. Attendance improvement for students experiencing homelessness will be addressed using best practices and updated strategies in attendance interventions. Identifying and resolving barriers to school participation using a multi-agency approach will be initiated. Students in foster care will be immediately enrolled, and communication with placing agencies will be enhanced. State guidance on Fostering Connections will be shared with partner agencies as part of overall continued cross agency training.

Current Focus 

The FCPS Homeless Program continues to identify and support homeless children in accordance with the requirements of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, and the guidance outlined by the State of Virginia Department of Education.  As the demographics of Fairfax County continue to change, the homeless program continues to expand its awareness program and facilitates trainings and workshops on McKinney-Vento requirements and the unique needs of homeless children and youth.  Additional presence and collaboration at FCPS Central registration will allow identification of some homeless students as the family enters the school system.  This collaboration will streamline services and assist with navigation for families that are new to the Country and in unstable or precarious housing including unaccompanied youth.  Bilingual navigation support to assist families with enrollment and community referrals.  Unaccompanied homeless youth will be connected with available community resources at the time of identification.  Continued work with county agencies providing housing for these students will move toward finding immediate, safe, housing for identified students.  A bilingual staff member from the FCPS homeless office will meet individually with homeless unaccompanied youth at their schools to provide additional assistance on going throughout the school year.  Identified preschool aged homeless students will be provided with transportation assistance in order to maintain school stability, or if the parent requests, advocacy in finding a local placement for the student.  Access to community supports for preschool aged students will be provided to homeless service providers.  Tracking of homeless seniors will include post-secondary planning with emphasis on scholarship access and logistics help.  College bound homeless unaccompanied youth will have regular support in the college application process and connecting with a point of contact at selected colleges to ensure continued support throughout the high school to college transition period.  

Future Focus

Technology access and support will be a primary goal with students, as well as an increased focus on student attendance and reducing barriers to regular school attendance and participation.
 

2022-23 Goals

• Goal 1: Technology access and support will be a primary goal with students, parents, and nonprofit shelter providers for homeless families and youth. Communication regarding use of technology to access distance learning, as well as family/parent school engagement will be a priority. This goal was met. Technology support was provided to students and parents. In addition, homeless parents were transported to FCPS school sites to obtain technology support or technology resources.
   
• Goal 2: Outreach to reduce barriers to education as our community works through challenging issues will be a primary focus. Housing instability and its impact on learning will be addressed and advocacy surrounding stable and permanent housing will be an integral part of the homeless education program. This goal was met, as meetings were held with shelter providers, County programs, emergency hotel placements due to COVID, and written information was distributed to parents and shelters. Academic support was conducted both in person and virtually throughout the school year.
   
• Goal 3: Attendance improvement for students experiencing homelessness will be addressed using best practices and updated strategies in attendance interventions. Identifying and resolving barriers to school participation using a multi-agency approach will be initiated. This goal was met, as attendance issues were addressed on a case by-case basis in collaboration with FCPS attendance specialists.
   
• Goal 4: Students in foster care will be immediately enrolled, and communication with placing agencies will be enhanced. State guidance on Fostering Connections will be shared with partner agencies as part of overall continued cross agency training. This goal was met.