Homeless & Foster Care Education
Woburn Public Schools is dedicated to making sure every child has a stable, welcoming space to learn and thrive. Under the federal McKinney-Vento Act, our district provides dedicated support services to help students experiencing housing transitions attend school regularly, participate fully, and stay connected to their routines.
Families may qualify for assistance if they are staying in a shelter, living in temporary housing, motel or hotel stays, or sharing a home with others due to financial hardship or loss of housing. If you or a family you know could benefit from these services, please reach out to the district’s Homeless Education Liaison. We are here to help guide and support you every step of the way.
Additional Resources for Families
McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act
What is the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act?
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act covers children and youth who don’t have a fixed, adequate and regular nighttime residence, including living:
- In a shelter
- In a motel, hotel or campground, in a car, bus or train station, an abandoned building, or other inadequate accommodations
- With other people due to loss of housing, economic hardship or similar reason (also known as doubled up)
This includes migrant youth and unaccompanied youth living in any of the above situations
Unaccompanied Youth
Youths who are out of the physical custody of a parent or legal guardian and lack of fixed, regular, and adequate housing have all the rights of other homeless students.
Students enrolling under McKinney-Vento have the right to:
- Enroll and attend classes even if they do not have the required documentation immediately
- Attend the school they attended before experiencing homelessness
- Transportation to and from the school of origin in another district (up to one hour each way)
- Access special education services if the student has a current IEP
- Participate in any school activities that are available to other students
- Receive free school meals
- Be provided verification of homelessness if requested
- Appeal the district’s enrollment and eligibility determination
Dispute Resolution Process
In order to ensure the prompt resolution of disputes the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has established the following McKinney-Vento Dispute Resolution Process:
- The dispute resolution process begins at the time a district denies the continued enrollment or right to enroll a homeless student in the school selected by the parent, guardian or unaccompanied homeless youth.
- A student must be allowed to attend the school in which enrollment is sought and transportation provided (if needed) pending the resolution of the dispute.
- The homeless education liaison must:
- provide notice of the denial to the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth on the day of the denial
- provide the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth with written notice in clear, easy-to-understand language detailing the dispute resolution process, informing the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied homeless youth of the right to appeal and the option to obtain independent information and counsel;
- provide the prescribed form to be completed by the parent/guardian, or unaccompanied homeless youth should he or she decide to appeal the school district’s enrollment decision.
- assist the parent/guardian or unaccompanied homeless youth in promptly submitting an appeal to DESE in three school days with an extension of up to ten additional school days (please contact the Department’s Problem Resolution System regarding an extension); and
- if the district has not notified the parent of its enrollment decision or the parent’s right to appeal that decision, the parent/guardian or unaccompanied homeless youth may initiate a dispute by contacting DESE.
- Following receipt of the district’s denial form and the appeal by the parent/guardian or unaccompanied homeless youth and any additional requested information, the Commissioner or the Commissioner’s Designee shall promptly issue a decision usually in five to ten school days. The decision of the Commissioner or the Commissioner’s Designee shall be final.
Foster Care
Definition – Students in Foster Care
Students who are in:
- 24-hour out-of-home care, placed away from their parents or guardians, and for whom the Department of Children and Families (DCF) has placement and care responsibilities.
- Foster homes, including, but not limited to:
- Treatment Residences (formerly Group Homes)
- Foster homes
- Kinship foster homes
- Emergency Residences
- Transitional care units (TCUs)