HOW NATIONAL LAW CENTER ON HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY WILL HOST FREE WEBINAR: NO BARRIERS (1368 hits)
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The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty recently released its latest resource, No Barriers: A Legal Advocate’s Guide to Ensuring Compliance with the Education Program of the McKinney-Vento Act. Too many young people experiencing homelessness are currently denied education rights guaranteed to them by federal law. The Law Center offers this manual as a tool for legal advocates and attorneys to assist children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness.
The Law Center will host a free, live webinar training on Thursday, September 24 at 2:00pm ET to present information from the resource, as well as discussion of collaborative models of legal advocacy; strategies for using data, the media, legal advocacy, and legislative advocacy to obtain systemic reform; policy impacts on homeless children and youth; the legal status of children awaiting foster care placement; and special protections for unaccompanied homeless youth. The webinar will also feature a personal perspective on homeless youth access to education issues from a formerly homeless student.
Homelessness is an ongoing crisis that continues to displace and negatively impact the lives of millions of Americans each year, with particularly dire consequences for children and young people. In 2010, 1.6 million or one in every 45 children and youth were found to be homeless. In 2013, this statistic increased to 2.5 million or one in every 30.
Staying in school offers homeless children and youth educational continuity, stability, and a path toward academic and lifetime achievement. School enrollment and stability are also rights protected by the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program under Title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This federal law specifically ensures that quality education is accessible by guaranteeing children and youth without a fixed, adequate night-time residence the right to remain in their school and to receive free transportation to and from the same school after being displaced. No Barriers: A Legal Advocate’s Guide to Ensuring Compliance with the Education Program of the McKinney-Vento Actwill enable more advocates to effectively assist homeless children, youth, and families with educational issues.
