Skip to Main Content 

Homeless

The mission of the Office of State Coordinator for Homeless Education is to assure quality school programs and services for homeless children and youth through the dissemination of pertinent information and resources for use in assessment, evaluation, development, and revision of programs and services.

Vision
It is envisioned that all Iowa school districts will provide appropriate and successful programs and services for the education of all homeless children and youth in Iowa.

State Coordinator
The coordinator has the responsibility to insure the development of a state plan that provides for the education of homeless children and youth in Iowa. Additional responsibilities include collaborating with other agencies and organizations to improve comprehensive services to families, children, and youth in homeless situations, administering a grant process to allow school districts to access federal funds, preparing reports for the U.S. Secretary of Education, estimating the number of homeless children and youth in the state and reporting the number of children and youth served by the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act.


Resources

Local Homeless Education Agency Liaison Toolkit
The Local Homeless Education Liaison Toolkit is a comprehensive tool that will assist both new and veteran local homeless education liaisons in carrying out their responsibilities. Over 200 pages of the best and most current information on increasing access to and success in educational opportunities for children and youth experiencing homelessness are provided in the Toolkit. The Toolkit includes chapters, appendices and a PowerPoint presentation. The Entire Toolkit or individual sections listed below may be downloaded using Adobe Acrobat. http://www.serve.org/nche This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Education of Homeless Children and Youth
A Compendium of Research and Information. National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE, 1100 West Market Street, Suite 300, Greensboro, North Carolina, 27403. This compendium provides research and information related to the educational needs of homeless children and youth. HelpLine: (800) 308-2145, Web site: http://www.serve.org/nche

Documents

icon Iowa Homeless Population Form for Use by Schools

icon Standards and Indicators of Quality McKinney Vento Programs

 

Nutrition Services for Homeless Students

icon Homeless Children in the School Nutrition Program


Nutrition Programs
Homeless Access Legislation
Provides information on the new law identifying homeless as eligible for free and reduced lunches and all meal programs.
icon Nutrition Programs Homeless Access Legislation

Homeless Children in the School Nutrition Programs Memorandum Sent to Homeless Liaisons
icon Homeless Children in the School Nutrition Programs Memo and to Homeless Liaisons


Awareness and McKinney-Vento
This PowerPoint presents awareness information and the provisions of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Also helpful suggestions for using the PowerPoint is in Appendix N, page 177, of Local Homeless Education Liaison Toolkit. It includes sensitivity lessons, speaker notes, presenters tip sheet and handouts.
icon Awareness and McKinney Vento

icon Homeless Students Definitions Rights and Identificatio

icon Homeless Students Meeting Their Needs

Title X Part C

On-Site Links

McKinney-Vento Homeless Act

Laws, Rules & Legislation

Links to Related Content (off-site)
USDE

281--Iowa Administrative Code 33

National Center for Homeless Education
(http://www.serve.org/nche/legis.htm)

Runaways - Iowa Legislation and Rules
This document includes citations developed and reviewed by members of the policy studies group of Success4. The citations allow quick reference to code and rules on runaways to be used by local liaisons for homeless education.
icon Runaways Iowa Legislation and Rules

Homelessness: Local Program Planning and Review Guides:
Services for Homeless Children and Youth
This guide includes two review formats, a Basic School and Community Service/Activity Checklists and a Comprehensive Local Education Agency Program Review Guide. These formats were developed to serve as tools to be used locally by school district personnel and Boards of Education in assessing needs and planning the development of quality policies and procedures to serve homeless children and youth. The formats address the requirements of Chapter 33, Educating the Homeless, Iowa Administrative Code and the requirements of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, Title X, NCLB . In addition, they include policies and procedures that are monitored during the Iowa Department of Education’s equity and school improvement accreditation visitations. Chapter 33 and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act are included in the Appendices.
icon Homeless Local Program Planning and Review Guides Services or Homeless Children and Youth

Key Provisions in Title I Relating to Homelessness
icon Key Provisions in Title I Relating to Homelessness

Responsibilities for Local Homeless Education Liaisons
icon Responsibilities for Local Homeless Education Liaisons


Documents/Major Studies

Identification and Needs Assessment Form:
Preschool and School Age Children and Youth Living in Homeless Situations
A form in text format for use by schools in recording pertinent information regarding children and youth identified as living in homeless situations. The form is useful in (1) obtaining a cumulative count of the number identified, (2) determining individual needs, (3) maintaining information regarding individuals and (4) obtaining summary reports of demographic data, characteristics, and needs of homeless children and youth.
icon Identification and Needs Assessment Form Homeless School Age Children and Youth

Educating Homeless Children and Youth
The process presents procedures and materials for use in identifying homeless children and youth, assessing their educational and personal needs, providing them appropriate programs and services, maintaining a cumulative count of the number identified and collecting demographic data and information regarding characteristics and living situations.
icon Educating Homeless Children and Youth

Imagine the Possibilities - Chapter 1
icon Imagine the Possibilities Chapter One

Book Reviews

Rural Homelessness: Research and Resources
Annotations of books pertaining to rural homelessness, rethinking orphanages, runaways and cast outs, homelessness in America, educating homeless students, evaluation of collaborative services and understanding poverty.
icon Rural Homelessness Research and Resources

Posters

Chapter 33, IAC requires postings in communities regarding services for homeless children and families. These model posters can be used to create local versions.

Information for Parents
icon Information for Parents

Information for School-Aged Youth
icon Information for School Aged Youth

Student Curriculum

Life Skills for Kids
A resource and activity guide for homeless children, ages 7 to 12. Ten "life-skill" lessons, including self-esteem, social skills/budgeting, self concept in art and photography.

 

Links

Iowa Finance Authority’s (IFA) mission is to finance, administer, advance and preserve affordable housing and to promote community and economic development for Iowans. IFA is a self-supporting public agency. IFA offers a variety of programs that address a continuum of housing needs, from homeless assistance to multifamily rental to single-family homeownership.

Iowa Legal Aid is a nonprofit organization that provides critical legal assistance to low-income Iowans who have nowhere else to turn.

National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) is the voice and social conscience for the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness. NAEHCY accomplishes this through advocacy, partnerships, and education.

National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) provides research, resources, and information enabling communities to address the educational needs of children and youth experiencing homelessness.

National Coalition for the Homeless is a national network of people who are currently experiencing or who have experienced homelessness, activists and advocates, community-based and faith-based service providers, and others committed to a single mission. That mission, our common bond, is to end homelessness.

National Law Center on Homlessness and Poverty's (NLCHP) mission is to prevent and end homelessness by serving as the legal arm of the nationwide movement to end homelessness.

National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness (NPACH) provides facts and policy on homelessness at the national level. NPACH is a grass roots anti-poverty organization with a mission to ensure that national homelessness policy accurately reflects the needs and experiences of local communities.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds programs to help the homeless. These programs are managed by local organizations that provide a range of services, including shelter, food, counseling, and jobs skills programs.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness's mission is to coordinate the federal response to homelessness and to constellate a national partnership at every level of government and every element of the private sector to reduce and end homelessness in the nation.