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McKinney-Vento Act |
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (Public Law 100-77), which was enacted by Congress in 1987, is the primary federal legislation addressing the problem of homelessness in the United States. The McKinney-Vento Act deals with a variety of assistance for the homeless, including emergency shelter and food, housing, health and mental health care, education, and job training. The McKinney-Vento Act has been amended four times, and the amendments have, for the most part, expanded the scope and strengthened the provisions of the original legislation.
The 1994 amendments were part of the reauthorization of the Improving America's Schools Act. This legislation provided continued support for previous policies and increased legal protections of homeless children and youth to ensure that they had greater access to a free, appropriate public education.
Major provisions of the McKinney-Vento Act
Homeless children's access to education has significantly improved as a result of the McKinney-Vento Act, although significant problems persist. The McKinney-Vento Act is important in educating homeless children for the following reasons:
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It defines homelessness,
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It requires that homeless children and youth have access to the education and services they need to ensure them an opportunity to meet the same state standards to which all students are held,
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It requires state education agencies to appoint a coordinator for the education of homeless children and youth,
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It requires each state to adopt a plan to provide for the education of each homeless child or homeless youth within the state, and
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It allocates money for the states to distribute in competitive, discretionary grants for programs created to meet the needs of homeless children.
Source
1994 Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (Subtitle B of Title
VII) SEC. 323. EDUCATION FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN AND YOUTH. Retrieved
September 26, 2001 from http://www.serve.org/nche/McKLeg.htm
