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Access to Extra-curricular Services |
Q. Does the requirement for immediate enrollment include enrollment in optional enrichment programs, extended-day programs, and other supplemental services? |
| A. Yes. Enrollment is defined to include attending classes and participating fully in school activities. 42 U.S.C. §11434A(1). Enrichment programs and other supplemental services are school activities. Furthermore, liaisons are required to ensure that children and youth in homeless situations have a full and fair opportunity to succeed in school. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(6)(A). Enrichment programs clearly support that requirement. To the extent that individual students experiencing homelessness can benefit from such programs, they must be provided access to the programs. |
Q. Should students in homeless situations be exempt from attendance rules for participating in school sports (for example rules requiring attending school for a semester before being eligible for sports at that school)? |
| A. Yes. The McKinney-Vento Act requires states and school districts to eliminate barriers to school enrollment and retention for children and youth experiencing homelessness. 42 U.S.C. §§11432(g)(1)(I), (g)(7). Enrollment is defined as attending school and participating fully in school activities. 42 U.S.C. §11434A(1). Sports and other extra-curricular activities are school activities. Courts have determined that school athletic associations are generally considered to be part of the state, due to their close relationship with the state. Therefore, athletic associations must comply with the McKinney-Vento Act's requirement to remove barriers, by exempting homeless students from sports participation rules that students cannot meet due to their homelessness and mobility, such as attendance rules. |
Q. What if children experiencing homelessness cannot pay fees associated with extra-curricular activities, such as club dues, sports uniforms, etc.? |
| A. Again, barriers to full participation in school must be eliminated. 42 U.S.C. §§11432(g)(1)(I), (g)(7). Fees for extra-curricular activities should be waived, or paid with other funds (such as McKinney-Vento funds or Title I, Part A funds). |
Q. Can students who are homeless receive free school meals without documenting income? |
| A. Yes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Child Nutrition Division issued a policy in 2002 (later enacted into law by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004) that makes any child identified as homeless by a liaison or shelter director automatically eligible for free school meals. They do not have to complete an application. When a liaison or a shelter director provides a child's name to the local school food service office, free school meals should commence immediately. For more information, visit the Statutory Framework section of this site. |
Q. To what extent should services for dental, medical, and other such needs be provided for children experiencing homelessness? |
| A. To the extent that such services are available at school, children experiencing homelessness must have access to them. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(4). Outside of school, liaisons are required to provide referrals for health, mental health, dental, and other appropriate services in the community. 42 U.S.C. §11432(g)(6)(A)(iii). "Other appropriate services" may include housing, shelter, job training, public assistance, food and nutrition, and legal assistance. |
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