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McKinney Vento

McKinney Vento: Plan for serving McKinney eligible children and families

Rhodes School has devised the following plan to effectively and efficiently serve McKinney Vento eligible children and families. The name and contact information for the McKinney-Vento liaison at Rhodes School is:

Taylor Patete

Social Worker, McKinney-Vento Education Liaison 

408-453-6813 x313

tpatete@rhodes.k12.il.us

According to ISBE, the McKinney-Vento Act defines “homeless children and youth” as  individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. The term includes: 

  • Children and youth who are: sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing,  economic hardship, or a similar reason (sometimes referred to as doubled-up); living in  motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to lack of alternative adequate  accommodations; living in emergency or transitional shelters; abandoned in hospitals; or  awaiting foster care placement. 

  • Children and youth who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private  place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for  human beings. 

  • Children and youth who are living in cars, parks, public spaces,  abandoned buildings,  substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings. 

  • Migratory children who qualify as homeless because they are living in circumstances  described above. 

1. School District

  • Insure that school forms, brochures, websites, and handbooks reflect accurate information  about homelessness and residency rights.

  • Train all staff, board members, administrators, and staff responsible for school enrollment  on Illinois and federal residency and homeless laws. 

  •  Insure that the homeless liaison is involved any time a child’s homelessness is  questioned.

  •  Enroll children experiencing homelessness, regardless of the parent or guardian’s ability  to produce records. 

  •  Collaborate with local free and low-cost legal services programs to insure that school  district personnel are educated and that parents are pro

This plan describes the responsibilities of Rhodes School and Rhodes School’s staff. 

2. Rhodes School’s McKinney-Vento Liaison:

  • Review the definition of homelessness and the rights of children and their families  experiencing homelessness. 

  • Train and provide information to enrollment staff and teaching staff regarding how to  identify and serve the children experiencing homelessness. 

  • Work with children and families during the enrollment process as needed.