The McKinney–Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program

Abstract

During the 2008–2009 academic school year, nearly a million (956,914) students were reported by school districts as being homeless, a 41% increase over just a 2-year period year. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief overview of national legislative efforts to address the education of children who are homeless, with a particular emphasis on students with disabilities. The McKinney–Vento Act is intended to provide some relief to the many challenges children who are homeless face. The act provides federal funding to the states and establishes requirements that expedite and in fact bypass bureaucratic documentation requirements for school enrollment and help create a stable school environment that provides the opportunity for these students to succeed in school.