Coalition on Homelessness and Housing(COHHIO)http://www.cohhio.org/Phone: (614) 280-1984

LAU Resource Center for English as a Second Language (ESL) Bilingual andMulticultural Educationhttp://www.ode.state.oh.us/Keyword: Limited English Proficient

StudentsPhone: (614) 752-1323

National Association for the Education ofHomeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY)http://www.naehcy.org/Phone: (763) 545-0064

Ohio Parent Information and ResourceCenter (Ohio PIRC)http://www.ohiopirc.org/Phone: (866) 253-1829 (Toll-free)

National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP)http://www.nlchp.org/FA_Education/Phone: (202) 638-2535

SERVE Improving Learning throughResearch and Developmenthttp://www.serve.org/nche/Phone: (800) 308-2145 (Toll-free)

U.S. Department of Educationhttp://www.ed.gov/index.jhtmlPhone: (800) USA-LEARN (800-872-5327)(Toll-free)

Tom DannisOhio Department of EducationCenter for School Improvement

Office of Federal Programs, 25 S. Front St., Mail Stop 404

Columbus, OH 43215-4183Phone: (614) 466-4161

Fax: (614) 752-1622Toll-free: (877) 644-6338

TTY: (614) 387-0970

E-mail: tom.dannis@ode.state.oh.us

Web site: http://www.ode.state.oh.us/Keyword: Homeless Students

Information and Resources

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Your child has the right to:

3 Go to school, no matter where youlive or how long you have lived there;

3 Stay in the school that he or she wasattending before becoming homelessor the school he or she last attended,if that is your choice and it is feasible;

3 Enroll in school immediately, even ifyou do not have all the paperwork,such as your child’s school or medicalrecords;

3 Access the same special programs andservices that are provided to otherchildren, including special education,migrant education and vocationaleducation;

3 Receive the same public educationthat is provided to other children,including preschool. (Your child cannot be separated from the mainstream school environmentbecause he or she is homeless. He or she cannot be segregated in a separate school, separate programswithin a school or separate settingswithin a school.)

If your child is assigned to a school not ofyour choosing, the school district mustexplain its decision in writing.

You have the right to appeal the district’sdecision regarding the school to which yourchild has been assigned. Your child has theright to go to the school of your choicewhile the dispute is being resolved.

3 Contact the school district’s local liaison for homeless education forhelp in enrolling your child in a newschool or arranging for your child tocontinue in his or her former school;

3 Contact the school and provide anyinformation you think will assist theteachers in helping your child adjustto the new situation;

3 Tell the school the date you are leaving and start the transfer of your records;

3 Ask for a copy of your child’s schoolrecords, including:

q An updated transcript;

q The grade your child is in;

q Any important medical informationabout your child’s needs;

q Scores your child made on any standardized tests;

q If possible, allow your child to saygoodbye to friends and teachers.

3 Make sure your child attends schoolevery day;

3 Read to your child; even a few minutes a day makes a difference;

3 Make education a family priority.

3 Help your child develop good studyhabits;

3 Meet with your child’s teachers andother school personnel.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Childrenand Youth Program was designed tomake sure all homeless children andyouth have equal access to the same freeand appropriate public education as children and youth who are not homeless.This includes preschool education.

State and local educational agencies are required to develop, review andrevise policies to remove barriers to theenrollment, attendance and success inschool that homeless children and youthmay experience.

Local educational agencies also must provide homeless children and youthwith the opportunity to meet the samechallenging state content and state student performance standards to whichall students are held.

The Rights of Homeless Parents and Their Children

If You Move, You Should: How You Can Help Your Child:

McKinney-Vento Program