For Immediate Release:                                               Contact: Melanie Mullen

September 2, 2005                                               202-904-6220      mullen@nlchp.org    

School Year Uncertainties for Children in Hurricane Aftermath

Advocates urge help to restore access and normalcy to school kids

The nation must respond to children affected by Hurricane Katrina.  In addition to worrying about lost personal items and when they will once again have a place to call home, the children will be wondering where they will go to school and how will they get there.  Now is the time for school districts and states to make accommodations required by the homeless education provisions in the No Child Left Behind Act. "School districts from as far north as Maine and as far west as California have been reporting the presence of homeless hurricane refugees requesting school enrollment," said Maria Foscarinis, Executive Director of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP).

"It's amazing how much this tragedy is affecting schools throughout the nation," says Diana Bowman, Director of the National Center on Homeless Education (NCHE).  These families are usually referred to school district homeless liaisons who are responsible for implementing the federal homeless education law at the local level.  The McKinney-Vento law requires schools to immediately enroll homeless students even if they don't have required documents such as birth certificates, proof of residency, academic records, or immunization records.  Many families affected by Katrina have lost these documents, and many schools are currently unable to transfer school records.

The federal law requires access to the same transportation services provided to other students in the district, and in some instances, special arrangements to meet the needs of homeless students, who tend to move frequently.  Districts may also use funds for school supplies and tutoring services to help children makeup classes missed due to homelessness.  "The law is important to ensuring that homeless students just get in the school house door," says Joy Moses, staff attorney with the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty.  She noted, "It is vital for children   displaced by Katrina and who need to go to school not only to continue their education, but to regain a sense of normalcy.  Many educators, school administrators, families who qualify for the services, and members of the general public are simply unaware of the law, which often leads to problems with implementation."

Even prior to this tragedy, a lack of resources of resources for homeless education was a constant concern.  Funds for homeless education are approximately 0.2% of the rest of the K-12 federal education budget.  Although every state receives a grant for the education of homeless children, many individual school districts do not.  According to Barbara Duffield, Policy Advocate for the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children & Youth, "Prior to this tragedy, states and districts had been forced to stretch their limited homeless education dollars; they simply aren't prepared to accommodate such huge increases in the homeless population."  NLCHP's Maria Foscarinis is looking to Congress to respond to this issue.  "It is our hope that as Congress prepares to send aid to the affected areas, the children and their educational needs are not neglected," says Foscarinis. 

The states have already begun to act.  The governor of Texas has welcomed displaced children into the state's schools.  Other affected states such as Florida, Virginia, Missouri, Tennessee, and South Carolina have also provided their schools with information about the McKinney-Vento program and the need to enroll students in temporary living situations, including the homes of friends or relatives or in hotels or motels.  "It's great to see that states are responding to the need, demonstrating compassion for the storm victims, and respecting the requirements of federal law," says Duffield.

Schools, districts, and families should take advantage of available resources.  There are a number of national advocates, state coordinators, and school districts liaisons who are dedicated to homeless students in need; and will lend a helping hand."  NCHE has a homeless education hotline available to answer questions at 1-800-308-2145.

Schools and families that need assistance should contact: the National Center for Homeless Education at 1-800-308-2145; or the National Association for Homeless Children & Youth at 202-364-7392; or the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty at 202-638-2535.

National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty - Maria Foscarinis, a former corporate lawyer, founded NLCHP in June 1989; two years after Congress passed the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (now the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act). The McKinney Act, crafted in large part by Foscarinis, is the first and still the only comprehensive federal legislation addressing homelessness. NLCHP’s mission is to prevent and end homelessness by serving as the legal arm of the nationwide movement to end homelessness.