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Homeless Education

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.



               
                         *Haga clic aquí para ver el video en español


·      The McKinney-Vento Act does not provide for shelter 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 may continue to attend the school they last attended when they were living in permanent housing or the school last attended.  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.

  • 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 Digital Student Residency Questionnaire.  Enrollment does not roll over from year to year.  Open enrollment for MVP begins in July prior to each school year.  For more information on qualifications and MVP rights, click on this link to view a flyer for MVP families. Haga click en este enlace para obtener undocumento PDF en español. 


                                        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). Learn more here.

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://tinyurl.com/ocpssupports.

"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.

CLICK HERE to access the Digital Student Residency Questionnaire. 

Please note, families will need to complete a NEW form after 7/1/2022.  Any forms completed prior will only apply to the 2021-2022 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 helphomeless@ocps.net. Get a list of school email addresses.


2022-23 Student Residency Questionnaire Forms (Please note, families will need to complete a NEW form after 7/1/2022.  Any forms completed prior will only apply to the 2021-2022 school year).

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Spanish

Portuguese

Haitian Creole 

Vietnamese

Arabic

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.

National Agencies that Support Homeless Education


Orange Technical College Scholarships

Students and parents of OCPS students that qualify for the McKinney-Vento Program may be able to receive financial assistance at Orange Technical College.  This assistance can include tuition, books, fees, and uniform costs.  To see if you qualify, please contact your Orange Technical College campus guidance counselor.  The form linked below will be completed by the Orange Technical College staff for review of qualification by the OCPS McKinney-Vento team. Additional information can be found on the informational flyer found at this link.

Otech Funds Request Form 2021_2022


American Rescue Plan Grant Ideas

The American Rescue Plan provides students experiencing homelessness additional supports in identification, academic success, and wrap around care.  
If you are a local agency and would like to partner on programs or activities you can submit your idea via the survey at this link by December 15, 2021 at 12:00PM.

For a list of allowable and unallowable activities, please click here.