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Policy 9300 Implementation Procedures - Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness

Policy Document

Implementation Procedures

I. Identification of Students Who Are Experiencing Homelessness

  1. All Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) school-based employees will assist Pupil Personnel Workers in identifying children and youth who are experiencing homelessness while ensuring privacy and confidentiality.

  2. HCPSS school-based employees who suspect that a student’s enrollment or withdrawal is related to a lack of permanent housing will contact the assigned Pupil Personnel Worker or the Office of Pupil Personnel.

  3. Any student or parent who believes they are experiencing homelessness may self-identify.

  4. If it has been determined that a child or unaccompanied youth lacks permanent housing (whether they are currently enrolled or not), the child or unaccompanied youth will be offered immediate enrollment in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (hereinafter known as the McKinney-Vento Act).

  5. The Homeless Education Liaison and Pupil Personnel Worker will collaborate with agencies in Howard County, including Grassroots, Coordinated Entry System of Homeless Services, Hope Works, Community Action Council, Continuum of Care, and the Department of Social Services, to identify and support children and youth who are experiencing homelessness in the Howard County community.

  6. The Pupil Personnel Worker will ensure that the identity and other relevant information about every school-aged child who is experiencing homelessness is kept confidential. This information may be shared with HCPSS school-based administrators and employees that directly support the student with parental permission.

  7. The Homeless Education Liaison, Pupil Personnel Workers, and HCPSS school-based employees will work collaboratively with the Office of Special Education and the Office of Early Childhood Programs to identify all children from birth-5 years who are experiencing homelessness and who may be in need of educational services and other support.

II. Enrollment

  1. The principal/designee must immediately contact their Pupil Personnel Worker when they suspect a child or unaccompanied youth may be experiencing homelessness.

  2. Children and youth who have been identified as experiencing homelessness must be enrolled even if their records, such as academic records, birth certificate, immunizations, proof of residency, or guardianship information are not available at the time of enrollment.

    1. The enrolling school will immediately contact the last school the student attended to obtain relevant academic records.

    2. If immunization and other health records are not available from the previous school, the Pupil Personnel Worker will work in collaboration with the Cluster Nurse to assist the family in obtaining the records. If the immunization records cannot be located, the Cluster Nurse will assist the family in obtaining the required immunizations.

    3. The Cluster Nurse, Health Assistant, and Pupil Personnel Worker will also work in collaboration with the Homeless Education Liaison to provide information to the family about basic dental and healthcare services offered in the community.

  3. If no parent can be contacted upon enrolling students aged 17 or younger, the Pupil Personnel Worker should refer the students to the Homeless Education Liaison. If the Homeless Education Liaison is unable to contact the parent, the case will be referred to the Howard County Department of Social Services for the purpose of designating the student as a Child in Need of Assistance (CINA).

  4. The Pupil Personnel Worker will assist the family in understanding their rights, the services available to their child, the dispute resolution process, and the appeal procedures, at the time of enrollment. The Pupil Personnel Worker will also provide the family with the Know Your Rights brochure. In conjunction with the completion of the Student in Temporary Housing (SITH) Form, the Pupil Personnel Worker will assist the family in completing the Community Resources Form.

  5. Upon enrollment, the name of the student will be provided immediately to the Office of Food and Nutrition Services, and the student’s eligibility for free meals will begin immediately.

  6. A SITH Form will be completed by the Pupil Personnel Worker at the time of enrollment of a student experiencing homelessness.

    1. The SITH Form must be completed annually or whenever a student relocates to a different residence.

    2. If a student has been residing in the same residence for consecutive years as established by the SITH Form, the Pupil Personnel Worker will determine if the family still meets the criteria for homelessness based on the annual review.

III. Unaccompanied Youth Experiencing Homelessness

  1. When an unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness requests enrollment in school, the school will immediately notify the Pupil Personnel Worker or the Homeless Education Liaison to determine if the youth is experiencing homelessness. Once a determination is made that the unaccompanied youth is experiencing homelessness, the school will follow the enrollment procedures outlined in Section II. of these procedures, above.

  2. The Pupil Personnel Worker will complete the SITH Form and the Caregiver’s Authorization Form for Students in Temporary Housing/Unaccompanied Youth.

  3. The Pupil Personnel Worker will explain and present all available school placement options so that the student can make an informed choice.

  4. The Pupil Personnel Worker, acting as the student’s case manager, will assist the student in obtaining the necessary transportation, school supplies, social services support, medical services, and personal supplies needed.

  5. The Pupil Personnel Worker will inform the unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness about the dispute resolution process to ensure that the youth knows the options that exist in case the student disagrees with decisions made by HCPSS school-based employees regarding enrollment, school selection, or services.

IV. School Determination

  1. The McKinney-Vento Act entitles students who are experiencing homelessness to continue their education either:

    1. At their school of origin for the duration of the student’s homelessness.

    2. At the school in the attendance area serving their temporary residence.

  2. The Pupil Personnel Worker or Homeless Education Liaison will consult with the parent to determine the school that is in the best interest of the student. The Pupil Personnel Worker or Homeless Education Liaison will presume that keeping a child or youth who is experiencing homelessness in the school of origin, except when doing so is contrary to the request of the parent or unaccompanied youth.

  3. Children and youth who are experiencing homelessness and are matriculating from one level of school to another (elementary to middle or middle to high school) and who continue to experiencing homelessness between academic years will continue in the feeder system of schools of origin unless the parent wishes that his/her child attend the school serving their temporary residence. Transportation will be provided to the child or youth if the child or youth resides outside of the school’s walking area.

  4. In selecting the school which is in the best interest of the student experiencing homelessness, the following two-step process will be followed:

    1. The parent and the Pupil Personnel Worker will determine which school will best serve the interests of the student, including consideration of the following factors and giving priority to the parent or unaccompanied youth’s request:

      1. The student’s age

      2. The school which the student’s siblings attend

      3. The student’s experiences at the school of origin

      4. The student’s academic needs

      5. The student’s emotional needs

      6. Any other special needs of the family

      7. Continuity of instruction

      8. Length of anticipated stay in the temporary shelter or other temporary location

      9. The likely location of the youth’s future permanent housing

      10. Time remaining in the school year

      11. Distance of commute and other transportation-related factors, and

      12. The safety of the student.

    2. The parent and the Pupil Personnel Worker will determine whether the student’s placement in the school in which enrollment is sought, upon consideration of transportation requirements and other aspects of school placement, including the following:

      1. Length of ride time

      2. The distance to be traveled

      3. The availability of buses and personnel

      4. The ability to reroute buses

      5. The availability of alternative transportation modes, such as taxis, personal transportation, or public transit, as permitted by law.

  5. The student experiencing homelessness will remain in the school determined to be in the student’s best interest for as long as the student continues to experience homelessness, or if the student becomes permanently housed, until the end of the academic year.

  6. If the Pupil Personnel Worker determines that it is not in the students best interest to attend the school of origin or the school requested by the parent or youth, the Pupil Personnel Worker must provide a written explanation of the reasons for its determination in a manner and form understandable to the parent or unaccompanied youth, including information regarding the right to appeal.

V. Comparable Services

Each student who has been identified as experiencing homelessness will be provided services comparable to the services offered to all other students in the school where the student attends. These services include:

  1. Transportation

    1. Students who are experiencing homelessness will be provided with transportation services to the school that is determined to be in their best interest and comparable to the services provided to students not experiencing homelessness. The process to arrange transportation for the child will begin immediately.

    2. When comparable transportation services are not available, the adult who transports the student will be offered mileage reimbursement, at the current Internal Revenue Service standard mileage travel reimbursement rate, or payment of public transportation fares.

    3. For out-of-district bus services and/or travel reimbursement, the Pupil Personnel Worker will submit the transportation request form to the Office of Student Transportation for processing.

    4. Once transportation arrangements have been made, the Office of Student Transportation will notify the parent and send verification to the bus contractor, the Office of Pupil Personnel, and the school.

  2. Food and Nutrition

    1. Upon completion of the SITH Form, the technical assistant for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth will ensure all students experiencing homelessness are receiving free meal benefits from the Office of Food and Nutrition Services.

    2. The Office of Food and Nutrition Services will confirm the student’s enrollment and inform the appropriate cafeteria manager of the student’s eligibility to receive free meals.

    3. A student who is experiencing homelessness will receive free meals beginning the first day of enrollment as a student in temporary housing.

    4. A student enrolled as a student experiencing homelessness is eligible for free meals for the entire school year even if the student becomes permanently housed.

    5. Schools will not require students who are experiencing homelessness to complete the application for FARMS.

  3. Educational Services

    1. The Pupil Personnel Worker will assist appropriate HCPSS school-based employees in determining whether, and to what extent, the student meets eligibility criteria for appropriate educational services.

    2. Eligible students will receive as many of the following services as appropriate:

      1. Academic Intervention

      2. Special Education

      3. ESOL

      4. Gifted/Talented

      5. Section 504

    3. The Office of Academic Intervention and the Title I Programs employees will work together with the Office of Pupil Personnel staff to ensure that students experiencing homelessness are receiving Title I or comparable services as needed.

VI. Responsibilities of the Homeless Education Liaison

  1. Provide training for Pupil Personnel Workers and other HCPSS school-based employees to ensure prompt identification and enrollment of children and youth who are experiencing homelessness.

  2. Ensure public notice of McKinney-Vento rights is disseminated in locations frequented by parents and unaccompanied youth, in a manner and form understandable to them.

  3. Participate and assist with mediating disputes that occur regarding the enrollment, school selection, and provision of services for children and youth who are experiencing homelessness, and ensure the consistent implementation of the dispute resolution process.

  4. Chair meetings of the Homeless Advisory Committee whose purpose is to ensure the coordinated delivery of services to children and youth who are experiencing homelessness.

  5. Provide training for Pupil Personnel Workers to ensure that children and youth who are experiencing homelessness are offered case management services that result in the delivery of appropriate educational and related services.

  6. Ensure that Pupil Personnel Workers monitor the academic, attendance, and behavioral data for students who are experiencing homelessness.

  7. Write and manage grants that provide funds to support the education of children and youth who are experiencing homelessness.

  8. Collaborate with the Homeless Education Coordinator of the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to ensure the delivery of appropriate services and supports to children and youth who are experiencing homelessness. Including participating in professional development and technical assistance meetings as determined appropriate by the State Homeless Education Coordinator.

  9. Ensure that Pupil Personnel Workers inform parents and unaccompanied youth about their rights under the McKinney-Vento Act and available transportation services and assist them in obtaining transportation.

  10. Communicate regularly with representatives of community agencies that provide services and supports to children and youth who are experiencing homelessness and their families.

  11. Ensure prompt reporting of required data to the MSDE.

  12. Ensuring students experiencing homelessness have access to and receive educational services for which such families, children, and youths are eligible, including services through Head Start programs, early intervention services, and other preschool programs administered by the local school system.

VII. Dispute Resolution

  1. If a dispute arises regarding the enrollment, school placement, or services provided to a student experiencing homelessness, the parent or unaccompanied youth will receive information explaining the dispute resolution process. The Pupil Personnel Worker will provide this information, which includes a copy of written instructions for engaging the dispute resolution process and the Dispute Resolution Process for Students in Temporary Housing – Form 1.

  2. During the dispute resolution process, the student experiencing homelessness will be:

    1. Admitted to the school of choice.

    2. Provided transportation to that school until the dispute is resolved.

  3. The dispute resolution process includes the following procedures:

    1. A parent or unaccompanied youth who requests dispute resolution will submit a completed copy of the Dispute Resolution Process for Students in Temporary Housing - Form 1 to the principal. Copies of this completed form will be provided to the Pupil Personnel Worker and the Homeless Education Liaison.

    2. Upon receipt of the completed form, the principal and Pupil Personnel Worker will meet with the parent or unaccompanied youth within five (5) school days to resolve the dispute

    3. Using the Dispute Resolution Process for Students in Temporary Housing – Form 1, the principal will provide a written explanation of the school’s decision, within five (5) school days, including the right to appeal.

    4. If the parent or unaccompanied youth is not in agreement with the principal’s decision, or if the principal does not issue a written decision within five (5) school days, a written complaint, using the Dispute Resolution Process for Students in Temporary Housing, Request for Due Process - Form 2, should be submitted to the Homeless Education Liaison within five (5) school days of the decision.

    5. Upon receipt of the dispute form for due process, the Homeless Education Liaison will meet with the parent or unaccompanied youth and attempt to resolve the dispute. The Homeless Education Liaison will provide a written explanation of their decision, including the right to appeal. The meeting must be scheduled and the written decision provided within 10 school days.

    6. If the parent or unaccompanied youth is not in agreement with the decision of the Homeless Education Liaison, or if the Homeless Education Liaison does not issue a written decision within 10 school days, a written appeal should be made to the Board. Appeals to the Board should be sent to the Administrative Specialist to the Board, 10910 Route 108, Ellicott City, MD 21042. Appeals to the Board must be filed within 30 calendar days of the decision of the Homeless Education Liaison or the failure of the Homeless Education Liaison to issue the decision.

    7. The Board of Education will meet to hear the appeal within 45 calendar days after receiving the appeal request.

    8. If the parent or unaccompanied youth is dissatisfied with the decision of the Board, an appeal may be issued in writing to the Maryland State Board of Education. Appeals to the Maryland State Board of Education must be made within 30 days of the decision of the local Board of Education.

VIII. Case Management and Support

  1. Pupil Personnel Workers will be responsible for the case management and coordination of services for children and youth experiencing homelessness.

  2. Case management and coordination of services will include:

    1. Facilitating the completion of the SITH Form and transportation forms.

    2. Ensuring the immediate registration and enrollment of the student experiencing homelessness.

    3. Coordinating supports and services when a family has children attending multiple schools.

    4. Collecting academic and health records.

    5. Collaborating with the Student Support Team (SST) to address and monitor the social, emotional, academic, and health-related needs of the student.

    6. Ensuring that the student has the necessary school supplies and materials.

    7. Referring families of students who are experiencing homelessness to community resources such as mental health, social services, housing, medical and dental, employment, food banks, emergency shelter, and other services, as needed.

    8. Collaborating with other HCPSS school-based employees, including school counselors, administrators, and health services staff, regarding the specific needs of the student who is experiencing homelessness.

    9. Requesting assistance as needed from the SST.

    10. Monitoring the student’s academic progress, attendance, and behavior.

    11. Referring the student for academic intervention, if needed.

    12. Completing quarterly progress reports and homeless reports.

    13. Serving as the point of contact between the school, the family, and the community.

    14. Ensuring that parents of children and youth who are experiencing homelessness are informed of the educational and related opportunities available to their children and are provided with meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children.

    15. Assisting with the transition of children and youth who are experiencing homelessness when they transfer out of the HCPSS to other school systems.

IX. Special Considerations

  1. Students identified as experiencing homelessness can be referred to a SST to provide academic, social-emotional, and/or socioeconomic support as needed.

  2. Schools will use the academic intervention and support services available at the school prior to requesting assistance from other sources.

  3. Students who are experiencing homelessness may require consideration and accommodations when circumstances beyond their control impact their school performance and engagement.

  4. Students who are experiencing homelessness will receive school-based waivers for field trips and any fees, including those associated with school-related graduation activities.

  5. Staff will use alternate ways to engage and involve parents of students who are experiencing homelessness.

  6. Counselors will ensure that students who are experiencing homelessness have information regarding tuition waivers for comprehensive summer school and selected school system summer programs.

  7. High school counselors will ensure that students who are experiencing homelessness have information regarding free registration for college placement exams and college applications as well as information on qualifying for financial support in college.

  8. In collaboration with the Office of School Counseling, procedures will be implemented to identify and remove barriers that prevent youth experiencing homelessness from receiving credit for full or partial coursework satisfactorily completed at a prior school.

  9. Students who are experiencing homelessness and meet academic eligibility requirements are eligible to participate in extracurricular activities, including interscholastic athletics.

X. Definitions

Within the context of these implementation procedures, the following definitions apply:

  1. Bona Fide Residence – A person’s principal residence maintained in good faith. It does not include a temporary residence or a superficial residence established for the purpose of attendance in the HCPSS. Evaluation of a person’s bona fide residence is a factual one and will be made on an individual basis.

  2. Case Management – Comprehensive services beginning with the identification of children, youth, and families who are experiencing homelessness. Case Management includes identifying a student’s social, emotional, academic, or health-related needs as well as linking children, youth, and families to community resources/services.

  3. Child in Need of Assistance (CINA) – A child under the age of 18 deemed by the court to be in need of assistance due to physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or neglect by a caretaker.

  4. Date Identified – The date a student/family is initially determined to be experiencing homelessness by the HCPSS.

  5. English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) – A course offering designed for English language learners, which provides instruction and English language development.

  6. Enrollment Barriers – Requirements or procedures of a school district that could prohibit or delay the attendance of a student who is experiencing homelessness in school.

  7. Free and Reduced Meals Services (FARMS) – A federal food services program that provides free or reduced priced meals for eligible low-income families.

  8. Gifted and Talented – A program that provides differentiated services that are substantially different from the regular school program for students who have distinct learning needs based on their individual capabilities.

  9. School Determination – The school of origin or the school in the attendance area where the student is temporarily residing. Per the Every Student Succeeds Act, the presumption is the school of origin is in the best interest unless not feasible or contrary to the wishes of the parent and student.

  10. School of Origin – The school a student attended when permanently housed or the school in which a student was last enrolled (including pre-school) before experiencing homelessness.

  11. Section 504 – A part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that provides accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

  12. Special Education – Specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of a student with an educational disability.

  13. Student in Temporary Housing (SITH) Form – A registration form used when enrolling students who are experiencing homelessness.

  14. Student Support Team (SST) – A diverse group of school-based educators, that may include school counselors, psychologists, administrators, nurses, and teachers, that meet regularly to discuss the educational and behavioral needs of students. When necessary, this group also collaboratively develops interventions to support the specific needs of students.

  15. Unaccompanied Youth Experiencing Homelessness – A student who is experiencing homelessness and not in the physical custody of a parent.

XI. Monitoring

Policy 9300 implementation procedures will be overseen by the Division of Schools.

XII. History

ADOPTED: June 9, 2011

REVIEWED: January 17, 2024

MODIFIED: October 2, 2018

REVISED: June 12, 2025

EFFECTIVE: July 1, 2025

Policy History Key

  • Adopted-Original date the Board took action to approve a policy
  • Reviewed-The date the status of a policy was assessed by the Superintendent’s Standing Policy Group
  • Modified-The date the Board took action to alter a policy that based on the recommendation of the Superintendent/designee did not require a comprehensive examination
  • Revised-The date the Board took action on a that policy based on the recommendation of the Superintendent/designee needed a comprehensive examination
  • Effective-The date a policy is implemented throughout the HCPSS, typically July 1 following Board action.