American Rescue Plan-Homeless Children and Youth (ARP-HCY)

This tab contains examples of forms, agreements, and other resources that support the use of ARP-HCY funds for students experiencing homelessness. SchoolHouse Connection is very grateful to the school districts and agencies who have agreed to share these adaptable, “plug and play” resources with their peers. Being listed on this page does not imply endorsement of a particular vendor. If you have a sample form, agreement, or other resource you’d be willing to share, please email info@schoolhouseconnection.org.

Sample forms for Store Cards

• California’s Homeless Education Technical Assistance Center offers sample forms, letters, and procedures for making the most of store cards/pre-paid debit cards.
• Store Card Tracker from Clifton Public Schools, NJ

Sample forms for Gas Cards

• Sample agreement for gas cards (Stockton Unified School District, CA)

Sample MOUs/Agreements for Motels

• Sample outreach letter to motels (Lafourche Parish School District, LA)
• Monterey Peninsula Unified
  • Rate Agreement with Motel 6
  • Preferred Discount Agreement with Motel 6

Sample MOUs/Agreements with Community Based Organizations

• Sample MOU between The School Board of St. Lucie County, FL and Community Based Organizations
• Sample MOU between Akron Public Schools, OH and Legal Services
• California’s Homeless Education Technical Assistance Center offers Sample MOU and School-Community Partnership Meeting Agenda Template and Task List
• Sample MOU with Catholic Charities for wraparound services – San Bernardino City Unified School District, CA
• Sample MOU between Family Promise of Grand Rapids and Kent Intermediate School District

Sample Forms for Transition from High School to Postsecondary

• Inform Students about the FAFSA Email Template
• Sample Form Letters to Determine Independent Student Status of Unaccompanied Homeless Youth for the FAFSA

Sample Forms for Early Childhood

• Referring Young Children to Early Childhood Development Programs: Checklist for Homeless Liaisons

Sample Forms for Wraparound Services

In Washington Court House City Schools, mentors utilize Google Sheets to effectively monitor their mentees’ needs, along with their families.’ These sheets record various aspects such as goals, attendance, grades, and communications with parents or guardians. Additionally, the McKinney-Vento liaison uses them to keep track of referrals to community partners. In cases where a family has multiple students, all mentors can access a single sheet for that family, enabling seamless collaboration between mentors and the liaison in supporting the whole family. This tracking method is pivotal in evaluating the outcomes and success of the mentoring program.

• Student and family needs tracking for mentorship program
  • 2022_2023 Mentee_Mentor
  • Family Sheet Example

• ARP-HCY Sprint: Timeline At a Glance
  • This resource provides a concise timeline and essential actions to help you manage and maximize your ARP-HCY funds before the September 30, 2024 obligation deadline, including guidance on liquidation dates and strategies for using funds beyond 2025.
• Important Clarifications about ARP-HCY, EHCY, and Title I Part A Funds To Support Students Experiencing Homelessness
  • In response to questions from state and local educational agencies, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has provided clarifications about the use of ARP-HCY funds; Education for Homeless Children and Youth Act (EHCY) funds; and Title I Part A funds. These answers can help state and local educational agencies maximize their remaining ARP-HCY funds, and help to sustain services and programming with EHCY and Title I Part A funds. A list of all ARP-HCY LEA grantees is available from ED.
• Seven Ways to Help Homeless Students Return Back to School with ARP-HCY Funds
  • Discover seven effective ways to use ARP-HCY funds to support students experiencing homelessness. Learn how to address transportation, supplies, communication, mental health, food, and emergency housing needs, ensuring educational access and success.
• Maximize Final ARP-HCY Funds: Quick Spending and Cost Guide
  • This resource is designed to guide state and local educational agencies in effectively utilizing the ARP-HCY funds. It organizes allowable uses of ARP-HCY funds by relative cost, categorized into high cost, medium to high cost, and lower cost options.

Allowable Uses of ARP-HCY Funds:

• Two Page Reference
• Comprehensive Brief with Q&A and Examples
• Purchasing a Vehicle with ARP-HCY Funds
• Providing Emergency Motel/Hotel Stays with ARP-HCY Funds
• Providing Summer Activities with ARP-HCY Funds
• Reducing Chronic Absence for Students Experiencing Homelessness With ARP-HCY, EHCY, and Title I Part A Funds
• New Federal Guidance Urges Expediting ARP-HCY Funds. Now What?
• Flexing the Flexibility of ARP-HCY Funding Series: Making the Most of Federal Relief Dollars to Help Students Experiencing Homelessness
•  Reports:
  • February 2024: Overlooked and Almost Out of Time: Pandemic-Era Funds for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness
  • August 2022: Progress and Promise: An Early Look at COVID Relief Funds for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness
• Meeting the Transportation Needs of Students Experiencing Homelessness in the Pandemic and Beyond (May 2022)

• U.S. Department of Education  “Dear Colleague Letter” to Chief State School Officers updating the allowable uses of funds to meet urgent needs. 
• Remaining state ARP-HCY balances
• Information for states on extended liquidation
• The U.S. Department of Education’s ARP-HCY page (includes state award amounts, state plans, and frequently asked questions related to fiscal and programmatic issues).
• Partnering with School Social Workers to Expand Local Homeless Liaison Capacity and Provide Wraparound Services under the American Rescue Plan Homeless Children and Youth Program

• District Checklist: Taking Full Advantage of American Rescue Plan Funds to Identify and Support Students Experiencing Homelessness and Housing Instability (March 2022)
• Linking Needs to Uses of ARP-HCY Funds (Jointly Published by SchoolHouse Connection and Rhode Island Department of Education, March 2022)
  • Using ARP-HCY Funds to Meet Students Needs
  • McKinney-Vento Act, Education of Homeless Children and Youth Program – Full Needs Assessment
  • McKinney-Vento Act, Education of Homeless Children and Youth Program – Short Needs Assessment
• Working in Consortia to Support Students Experiencing Homelessness with ARP-HCY Funds(March 2022)
• How to Use American Rescue Plan Act K-12 Education Funds to Identify and Support Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (March 2022)
• ARP-HCY State Set-Aside Checklist (June 2022)
  • States may reserve up to 25 percent of both the Part I and Part II allocations for state-level activities. State set-aside funds may be used for training, technical assistance, capacity-building and engagement. The purpose of this checklist is to help guide state decisions in allocating and using state set-aside ARP-HCY funds to best meet the needs of children and youth experiencing homelessness.
• Overview of U.S. Department of Education Guidance on American Rescue Plan Act Homeless Children and Youth Funding(July 2021)
• Supporting Young Children and Families Experiencing Homelessness with American Rescue Plan Act Funds (June 2021)
• Navigating the American Rescue Plan Act’s Relief for Children, Youth, and Families Experiencing Homelessness (June 2021)