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Homeless Education


The
McKinney-Vento Program (MVP ) assists children and youth in transition lacking a fixed, adequate, or regular housing situation.   If a student and his or her family are currently residing in a shelter, motel, vehicle, campground, streets, abandoned building, or doubled-up with family or friends due to hardship, he or she may qualify for program assistance.



               
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·        The McKinney-Vento Act does not provide housing  supports, however it does allow the following rights to students:

  • Continuity of school placement:    In order to allow students to have consistency in their education, students qualifying under the McKinney-Vento Act may continue to attend the school they last attended, even if they move.   This school is called the school of origin.   This includes schools across county lines.   School placement decisions are made in the best interest of the student and factors such as distance from the current living situation are taken into consideration.

  • Transportation: Transportation must be provided to all students living 2 or more miles away from the school location, this includes students attending their school of origin.

  • Free lunch:  All students who qualify under the McKinney-Vento Act receive free lunch.

  • Immediate Enrollment :   Students who qualify under the McKinney-Vento Act are entitled to immediate enrollment, even if they do not have the proper paperwork (immunizations, address verification, etc.) at the time of enrollment.  
All families must register for the McKinney-Vento Program each year.  Families can enroll by completing a Student Residency Questionnaire, submitting it to their school, and answering a few questions about their housing situation.  Enrollment does not roll over from year to year.  Open enrollment for MVP begins on July 1st each school year. 

                                        McKinney-Vento Program Resources

OCPS McKinney-Vento Policy

Review the OCPS policy on the McKinney-Vento program.

OCPS Kids' Closet

OCPS Kids’ Closet is a centralized clothing closet and food pantry for eligible school aged students and families. Access to the Kids' Closet is coordinated through OCPS staff. The Kids’ Closet is always in need of donations (in-kind and monetary). If you would like to donate to support our clothing closet, please click here or email [email protected] 

OCPS Supports

Families in need of support (those that are experiencing homelessness or not) can put a request for an OCPS staff member to reach out regarding student services, mental health service, Exceptional Student Education (ESE) services, or homelessness supports.  To make a request, visit OCPS Supports at https://communityconnect.ocps.net or by clicking on this link.

"Digital" Student Residency Questionnaire (SRQ)


The Student Residency Questionnaire (SRQ) is a form that must be completed annually by families in transition or OCPS school staff to determine qualification for McKinney-Vento Act rights. SRQs should be completed and emailed or delivered (mail or in person) to the school registrar/s for each school.

The Digital Student Residency Questionnaire will be available on August 11, 2025 (the first day of school). Until then, please utilize the "paper"/PDF version below.  Make sure to send a copy to your school registrar/s and the McKinney-Vento office at [email protected]. 

Please note, any Student Residency Questionnaires completed before July 1, 2025 WILL NOT be valid for the 2025-2026 school year.

"Paper" Student Residency Questionnaire (SRQ)

The Student Residency Questionnaire (SRQ) is a form that must be completed annually by families in transition to determine qualification for McKinney-Vento Act rights. SRQs should be completed and emailed or delivered (mail or in person) to the school registrar/s for each school.

It is suggested that parents also send a copy to the district McKinney-Vento Program office at 
[email protected]Get a list of school email addresses.


2025-2026 Student Residency Questionnaire Forms (Please note, families will need to complete a NEW form after 7/1/2025.  Any forms completed prior will only apply to the 2024-2025 school year).

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Local Community Resources

The McKinney-Vento Act does not provide funding for schools to provide housing. A variety of community agencies provide supports based on the type of homelessness a family is experiencing. Get local community resources at this link.

All OCPS families have access to Community Connect.  This resource allows families to type in their zip code and search for specific resources available in their geographic area.  Click here to access Community Connect.