• On this page...

• Title X Part C
• McKinney-Vento Subgrants
• Coordination with Title I / Homeless Education
• Resources

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.

Homeless Education Liaisons

 2012-2013 Homeless Education Liaisons

 

Title X Part C

Title X - Part C provides states and local school districts with resources to support appropriate services and programs for children and youth who are identified as being homeless. States must ensure that each homeless youth and child has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including a public preschool education, as other children and youth. States and districts are required to review and revise policies that may act as barriers to enrollment, attendance or success in school for homeless children and youth.

Legislation

McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001

Non-Regulatory Guidance Title X NCLB

281--Iowa Administrative Code 33 - implements McKinney-Vento law for Iowa.

Educating the Homeless 281--IAC 33 - This file is a copy of 281--Iowa Administrative Code 33 dealing with educating the homeless.

National Center for Homeless Education Links:

• McKinney-Vento Act
• Homeless Education Issue Briefs
• Related Legislation
• Legislative Resources

 

McKinney-Vento Subgrants

The McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Subgrant Application is now open. Any public school district in Iowa that has identified and reported a minimum of 25 homeless students may apply for the grant program through a competitive grant process. The grant period is now closed.

Please direct questions about the McKinney-Vento Grant to Sandy Johnson, Homeless Education Coordinator (515-281-3965, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

 2012-2015 Homeless Grant Application (PDF)

 2012-2015 Homeless Grant Application (Word 97)

 

Coordination with Title I / Homeless Education

  Title I, Part A and Homeless Education Coordination - questions and answers about the coordination between Title I, Part A, and Homeless Education

 Title I Homeless Set-Aside 2012-2013

 

Resources

Toolkit

 Complete Local Homeless Education Liaison Toolkit - a comprehensive resource that will assist both new and veteran local liaisons in carrying out their responsibilities. The Toolkit, updated in 2007, contains over 250 pages of the most useful and current information on supporting the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness. Cd-rom orders are limited to 1; however, the files contained on the cd-rom may be copied and distributed freely.

Appendices in Toolkit:

•  Appendix A: The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
•  Appendix B: Related Legislation
•  Appendix C: Awareness Materials
•  Appendix D: Enrollment Tools
•  Appendix E: Assessment and Data Collection Tools
•  Appendix F: Sample LEA Homeless Education Policy
•  Appendix G: School-Level Point of Contact Form
•  Appendix H: Collaboration Resources
•  Appendix I: Transportation Resources
•  Appendix J: Homeless Education Issue Briefs
•  Appendix K: Frequently Asked Questions
•  Appendix L: Tip Sheets
•  Appendix M: Homeless Education Webpage Development
•  Appendix N: Training Resources
•  Appendix O: Research and Information on Homeless Education
•  Appendix P: National Partners in Homeless Education
•  Appendix Q: Resources and Services Available Through NCHE

Guides

 Educating Homeless Children/Youth: Conducting Needs Assessments and Evaluating Services - this guide from the National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) can be useful as districts conduct needs assessments and program evaluations of the local Homeless Education Program.

Educating Homeless Children and Youth, The Guide to Their Rights - this booklet is intended to provide assistance to schools, parents, shelter providers and others who strive to support homeless children and youth in enrolling and participating in school.

 The Most Frequently Asked Questions on the Education Rights of Children and Youth in Homeless Situation - this document provides answers to frequently asked questions on the McKinney-Vento Homeless Act and the education rights of children and youth in homeless situations. The answers are general responses based on federal statues, regulations, and guidance; relevant case law; and best practices from across the country. Answers were compiled by the National Association for the education of Homeless Children and Youth and the National Law center on Homelessness & Poverty.

Homeless Local Program Planning and Review Guides Services or 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.

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.

• Homeless Information for Parents
• Homeless Information for School-Aged Youth
•  Homeless Information for Parents (color)
•  Homeless Information for School-Aged Youth (color)
•  Homeless Information for Parents (Spanish) (color)
•  Homeless Information for School-Aged Youth (Spanish) (color)
•  McKinney-Vento FAFSA Poster
•  McKinney-Vento Mortgage Poster

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 Homelessness 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.