• What information can personnel listen for to determine if a student qualifies as an unaccompanied youth?
• Is there an age limit when determining whether a student is an unaccompanied youth?
• Once a school or district determines a youth is unaccompanied and experiencing homeless, what steps do they take?
• What do schools and districts need to do to support unaccompanied youth?
• Once an unaccompanied homeless youth is enrolled in school, with whom does the school communicate regarding grades, attendance, behavior, and other academic matters?
• What funds can schools and districts use to support unaccompanied youth?
• If an unaccompanied homeless youth is under 18, who signs for special education services?
• Is there a process to dispute the claim that a student is an unaccompanied youth?

• What have other schools and districts in Ohio done to help unaccompanied youth?
• What can school and district personnel do to support unaccompanied youth?
• How can schools and districts connect unaccompanied youth to local resources and services?
• What additional resources are available? 

To assess whether a student qualifies as an unaccompanied youth, school and district personnel can have an empathetic conversation with the student and listen for details about their living arrangement(s). It is important that the student remains enrolled in school while the liaison makes this determination.

• Fixed: As the student shares information about their living arrangement, liaisons can listen for whether the student sleeps in a permanent structure (such as a house or shelter), or in a more temporary setting (like a tent or a camper with wheels).  

• Regular: Liaisons can also listen for whether the student consistently sleeps in the same place and whether they have access to that location at any time (including during the day in case they become sick).  

• Adequate: Liaisons can listen for whether the student's sleeping arrangement has basic utilities, such as electricity, hot and cold running water, heating, air conditioning, and functioning kitchen and bathroom facilities.  

• Unaccompanied: Liaisons can listen for whether the student lives with anyone. Some unaccompanied youth may live in a “doubled up” situation with friends or family members due to hardship. In these cases, the student may still be considered as experiencing homelessness, as their living arrangement is a result of a hardship. Additionally, liaisons can listen for whether the student is living with a parent or legal guardian.  

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1. Educational Stability: Federal law requires that schools and districts continue educating the unaccompanied youth even if the host or caretaker does not live within the school district. This empowers schools and districts to provide students stability and consistency that they may lack outside of school.   
2. ​School Selection: Schools and districts can work with the unaccompanied youth to determine the needs of the student.
   • During the school selection, unaccompanied students experiencing homelessness decide to stay at their school of origin or transfer to a new school.  
   • The School Selection Worksheet helps to guide the conversation between the unaccompanied youth, their support system, and school personnel. Ultimately, the unaccompanied youth has the final decision with school selection.  
3. Connecting Unaccompanied Youth with Resources: Unaccompanied youth have unique needs that schools and districts can help to support by connecting students with community partners when needed. Liaisons may want to reach out to:  
   • Faith-based organizations (as they often have greater flexibility in what they can purchase than schools and districts),  
   • Educational Service Centers, or 
   • Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) 

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• Reduce Barriers to Attendance: Federal law requires that schools and districts waive enrollment requirements that are a barrier to attendance. Schools and districts have the opportunity to provide students stability and consistency by reviewing enrollment procedures and requirements.  

• School Selection: The local liaison can use their relationship with the unaccompanied youth to assist with school selection to know if it would be best for the unaccompanied youth to remain at their school of origin (the district or school the student attended when the hardship occurred or the last school where the student enrolled and attended) or be enrolled in the attendance area school (the district or school where the student is resting their head at night). 

• Needs Assessment: The needs of an unaccompanied youth may be unclear and schools and districts can ensure that they meet those needs by conducting a needs assessment with the unaccompanied youth.  

• Records Transfer: Federal law requires that once the unaccompanied student is enrolled and able to attend school, the school or district needs to reach out to the student’s previous school to obtain the necessary paperwork. Through transferring records, schools and districts help to ensure that the student has stability of education while being challenged at school.  

• Knowledge of Rights: The local liaison can offer additional supports by having a conversation with the unaccompanied student about their McKinney-Vento rights.  

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This can vary depending on the school’s policy. Typically, the school would communicate directly with the student about grades, attendance, behavior, and other academic matters. Since unaccompanied homeless youth are not living with a parent or legal guardian, they have the ability to sign permission slips, forms, and other documents on their own. The district’s homeless education liaison may also support the student in navigating these processes, ensuring they have access to the education and services they need.  

Additionally, adults who are "acting as a parent in the absence of a parent or guardian" can meet the definition of “parent” under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and may receive information about the youth's academic performance, behavior, and other educational matters. 

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• General Funds: Schools and districts can use their general funds to support unaccompanied youth. Unaccompanied youth, however, have unique and exceptional needs which will likely require supplemental funds.  

• Title I Funds: Schools and districts can use Title I funds and Title I homeless set-aside for unaccompanied youth.  

• McKinney-Vento Grant: Schools and districts can apply for the McKinney-Vento subgrant which is a three-year competitive subgrant. The bidder’s conference typically occurs in the late winter with a Request for Applications published in early March and the deadline for applications is the last week of April.  

• ​Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid and Student Wellness and Success Funds can support programs geared toward homeless youth (including paying the salary of a homeless education liaison) and those involved in the child welfare system; mental and physical health care services; prevention education programs; wraparound services; mentoring and after-school programs; enhanced safety and security measures; and improved family and community resource and engagement services. 

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Federal law requires that schools and districts follow this process if there is an eligibility dispute with the school or district and the unaccompanied youth: 

• Remain Enrolled: Students must remain enrolled in school throughout the dispute resolution process.  

• Written Decision: If a school or district determines that a student is not an unaccompanied youth, then they must provide a written decision to the student explaining their decision and the thought process behind it.  

• Student Appeal: If the student is unsatisfied with the decision, they can appeal the decision and the homeless liaison needs to assist the student with the appeal’s preparation.  

• Local Determination: The student may appeal to the local level and the school or district personnel will be able to explain their decision.  

• State Determination: The student can appeal to the state afterwards which gives the school or district personnel the opportunity to explain their decision again.  

• Final Decision: The decision of the state is final.  

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• Building Direct Relationships: Akron Public Schools launched Project Rise to support youth experiencing homelessness. As part of this initiative, the district created an academic advocate position to offer individualized and personal support for unaccompanied youth.  

• Engaging Community Partners: East Central Ohio Educational Service Center (ECOESC) serves rural districts in Belmont, Carroll, Guernsey, Harrison, and Tuscarawas Counties. Personnel have built relationships with landlords and local housing authorities to provide housing to unaccompanied homeless students. Landlords support the program as it allows them to help their community and assist vulnerable youth.     

• Supporting Non-Profits: Columbus City Schools launched Project Connect, which includes collaborating with Kaleidoscope Youth Center (KYC) for information about LGBTQ+ homeless youth and their unique needs. Through this partnership, KYC has provided Columbus City Schools with guidance and the district has referred unaccompanied homeless students to KYC.  

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• When an educator learns something that may indicate a student is experiencing housing instability, they can reach out to their building administrator who will then contact the school or district’s homeless liaison. Educators can find their school or district’s homeless liaison by: 
  • Going to the Ohio Education Directory System (OEDS),  
  • Searching for their district, 
  • Clicking on the district, 
  • Going to the personnel tab, and
  • Searching for “homeless liaison” in the “Roles Available to this Organization.”

• Educators may be consulted when the school or district assists with school selection. 

• Unaccompanied youth will likely benefit from trauma-informed practices and cultures.    

• Educators can also distribute “Handle With Care” emails to the student’s educators to support the emotional needs of the student.  

• Educators can help students be aware that there is an option on the FAFSA for students to indicate that they are experiencing homelessness and are an unaccompanied youth. There are a variety of scholarships to help unaccompanied students pursue higher education.  

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• Faith-Based Institutions: These organizations often have greater flexibility in what they can purchase than schools and districts.

• Educational Service Centers (ESCs): A district’s ESC may be able to refer administrators to services and supports for unaccompanied homeless youth.  

• Runaway and Homeless Youth Shelters: There are shelters across Ohio that house and support unaccompanied homeless youth.

• Food Banks: Unaccompanied students may struggle with accessing food outside of school, so it may be helpful to connect them with local food banks.  

• Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO): Personnel can access the Resource Guide from COHHIO to find more information about resources in their area.   

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• Supporting the Education of Unaccompanied Students Experiencing Homelessness   
• School Counselor Supports for College Preparation and Readiness for Students Experiencing Homelessness   
• Increasing Access to Higher Education for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth: Information for Colleges and Universities  
• In School Every Day: Addressing Chronic Absenteeism Among Students Experiencing Homelessness   
• Sex Trafficking of Minors: What Schools Need to Know to Recognize and Respond to the Trafficking of Students  

• Educational Rights Poster (Youth):  
  English  |  Spanish  

• Higher Education Poster:  
  English  |  Spanish  

Resources from the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments: 

• Trauma-related resources
• Information about the Title IV, Part A Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program (SSAE)
• Information about the "Free to Learn" initiative

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