Senate FY2025 Appropriations Bill Provides Level Funding, Improves Services to Children, Youth, and Families Experiencing Homelessness
On Thursday, August 1, 2024, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed its Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education FY2025 funding bill, S. 4942, by a vote of 25-3. This overwhelmingly bipartisan bill maintains current levels of funding for targeted homelessness programs, and includes strong directives for three federal agencies to improve services to children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness.
Specifically, this bill provides the following funding amounts:
- $129 million for the McKinney-Vento’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program (the same amount as FY2024). At the current funding level of $129 million, only 20% of school districts receive EHCY funding, compared to 52% of school districts receiving American Rescue Plan Homeless Children and Youth (ARP-HCY) funds, which was funded at $800 million. The bill also provides an additional year of availability for FY2025 EHCY funding.
- $146.3 million for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) programs (the same amount as FY2024). At the current funding level of $146.3 million, only 25 percent of applicants receive funding due to the severe underfunding.
- $4 million to continue the preventing youth homelessness demonstration program to identify and implement strategies and services for youth between ages 12 and 26.
The Senate report language includes the following federal agency directives:
- Directs the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to issue guidance clarifying that funds provided under the EHCY program may be used for all of the activities and services outlined in the Department’s September 12, 2023, Dear Colleague Letter to the Chief State School Officers on the American Rescue Plan—Homeless Children and Youth Funds, including paying for short-term, temporary emergency housing (such as a hotel or motel room) on a case-by-case basis if reasonable and necessary to facilitate school attendance, and as a last resort when other funding sources are not readily available.
- Directs ED to clarify that Title I–A funds must be reserved to enable LEAs to identify and support students experiencing homelessness, including in LEAs that have not yet identified students experiencing homelessness, and to provide transparency on amounts of Title I Part A funds reserved and spent for students experiencing homelessness.
- Directs ED to correct FAFSA errors for unaccompanied homeless youth for the 2025–2026 cycle and to issue updated guidance within 60 days that clarifies and streamlines the ability of unaccompanied homeless youth and other students.
- Strongly encourages the U.S. Department of Labor (COL) to streamline application requirements for homeless youth in the Job Corps program.
- Urges the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to assess and report on the strengths, barriers, and opportunities across ACF and HHS to provide two-generation services to end the cycle of homelessness children, youth, and families.
The table below shows how other critical early care and education programs serving children and youth fared in the Senate and House bills.
| Federal Programs Benefiting Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness | ||||
| Program | FY2024 | FY2025 | ||
| President’s Budget | House Cmte (H.R. 9029) | Senate Cmte (S. 4942) | ||
| The McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Program | $129 million | $129 million | $129 million | $129 million |
| Runaway and Homeless Youth Act Programs | $146.3 million | $146.3 million | $146.3 million | $146.3 million |
| Head Start/Early Head Start | $12.3 billion | $12.54 billion | $12.3 billion | $12.97 billion |
| Child Care and Development Block Grant | $8.75 billion | $8.5 billion | $8.8 billion | $10.35 billion |
| Preschool Development Grant | $315 million | $250 million | $250 million | $315 million |
| Title I Part A (Education for the Disadvantaged) | $19.1 billion | $19.3 billion | $14.4 billion | $19.39 billion |
| Title III (English Language Acquisition) | $890 million | $940 million | Eliminated | $895 million |
| IDEA | $14.21 billion | $14.39 billion | $14.23 billion | $14.5 billion |
| Federal Student Aid Administration | $2.03 billion | $2.65 billion | $1.5 billion | $2.1 billion |
| Career and Technical Education | $1.43 billion | $1.53 billion | $1.44 billion | $1.49 billion |
| Federal TRIO Programs | $1.19 billion | $1.2 billion | $1.19 billion | $1.21 billion |
| GEAR UP | $388 million | $398 million | $388 million | $393 million |
| Federal Work Study | $1.2 billion | $1.2 billion | $615 million | $1.2 billion |
| Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant | $910 million | $910 million | $455 million | $910 million |
| Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program | $75 million | $80 million | Eliminated | $80 million |
| Pell Grants – Maximum Grant | $7,395 | $8,145 | $7,395 | $7,495 |
Next Steps & Take Action:
SchoolHouse Connection strongly supports the report language included in the Senate bill, which represents our top advocacy priorities. We will continue to advocate for increased funding for the EHCY and RHYA programs – especially given record numbers of children, youth, and families are experiencing homelessness, and the expiration pandemic-era funding for homeless students that is expiring on September 30th.
Neither chamber is likely to take action on its FY2025 appropriations bills until after the November elections. It is imperative to use the months of August, September, and October to help educate your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative about the importance of investing in targeted programs for children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness.
SchoolHouse Connection submitted testimony to both the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee on the importance of increasing EHCY funding to meet rising needs. We are extremely grateful for the strong bipartisan support of 123 U.S. House members and 34 U.S. Senators for advocating for robust funding for EHCY.
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