The McKinney-Vento Act: Federal Law, Guidance, and Funding
Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act provides rights and services to children and youth experiencing homelessness, which includes those who are: sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; staying in motels, trailer parks, or camp grounds due to the lack of an adequate alternative; staying in shelters or transitional housing; or sleeping in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, or similar settings.
The law requires states and school districts to remove barriers to the identification, enrollment, stability, and success of children and youth experiencing homelessness.
- McKinney-Vento Act: Quick Reference: A three-page summary of the legislation
- Text of the McKinney-Vento Act (42 US Code CHAPTER 119, SUBCHAPTER VI, Part B: Education for Homeless Children and Youths)
- U.S. Department of Education’s Guidance on the McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth program
- Authorization and funding history of the McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth program from FY1987 to FY2024
- Public Notice to Federal Agencies and their Local Grant Recipients of the Educational Rights of Homeless Children and Youth
- U.S. Department of Education Education for Homeless Children and Youth page
Related Resources
- LEA McKinney-Vento Homelessness Policy Checklist
- Editable “Know Your Rights” Flyers
- Local Educational Agency Liaison Duties Under the McKinney-Vento Act
- Flyer on the definition of homelessness
- Q&A from the Field : We’ve answered hundreds of questions about the McKinney-Vento Act!
- Title I Part A: Law, Guidance, and Use of Funds
- Letter from the U.S. Department of Education explaining the requirement that students experiencing homelessness have expedited special education evaluations and eligibility determinations. (July 19, 2013)
- Letter from the U.S. Department of Education clarifying that McKinney-Vento students without disabilities may ride special education school buses, and allocation of financial responsibility for special needs students attending their school of origin. (August 5, 2013)
- State Laws on High School Graduation for Students Experiencing Homelessness. The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) places great emphasis on high school graduation for students experiencing homelessness. This document summarizes state laws that complement these federal requirements.
