McKinney Vento Program

Families may find themselves in changing living situations for a variety of reasons. Some may be of their choosing, but others may be out of their control. In some situations, families may worry about how to meet their basic needs. At West Fork Schools, our goal is to provide resources to help each student feel safe and secure so they can focus on their learning while at school. The McKinney Vento Program is in place to support families that are in transition by providing help with enrollment, transportation, school meals, and educational needs. Connections can also be made to community resources.

The McKinney-Vento Act specifically helps children who are considered homeless. However, there are a variety of living situations that qualify as homeless. When families have lost their permanent housing, transitional housing can look many different ways. In order to receive assistance under this program, children will be living in situations that lack fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. Some examples include:

• Children and youth sharing housing due to loss of housing or economic hardship.
• Children and youth living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or campgrounds due to lack of housing.
• Children and youth living in emergency or transitional shelters.
• Children and youth whose primary nighttime residence is not a regular sleeping location, such as a car or park.
• Living in substandard housing (no electricity or water).
• Unaccompanied youth. For more information, read here.
• Migratory children living in the above situations.

The McKinney Vento Act ensures the following for children:

• Receive a free, appropriate public education.
• Enroll in school immediately, even if lacking documents normally required.
• Enroll in the local school or continue attending their school of origin (the school they attended when permanently housed or the school in which they were last enrolled).
• Receive transportation to and from the school of origin, if you request this.
• Receive educational services comparable to those provided to other students, according to your children’s needs.
• For a complete list, use this link.

If you think your family may need assistance through this program, please contact the West Fork Schools McKinney Vento Liaison, Dena McKnight at:

email: dmcknight@wftigers.org

phone: 479.839.2231, extension 2028

As you share information about your living situation, a decision will be made as to if this program is for your family.

State Required Information
Please feel free to read our district guidelines and procedures for a complete overview of the McKinney Vento Program in place for students in our district.