On Friday, October 10, the Trump Administration fired thousands of federal employees, proclaiming that the action was a consequence of Democrats failing to cede to Republican terms to provide short-term funding to keep the government open. According to federal guidance, affected employees have at least 30 days before dismissals take effect.

What We Know as of Monday, October 13th

• All of the people who work for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education programs (OESE) – except for Directors – were fired. This includes staff who administer the Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program, Title I, Title II, Title III, Migrant Education, and other programs within OESE (see chart here).
• Most staff in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services also have been fired. Approximately one in five students experiencing homelessness also are special education students.
• The McKinney-Vento Act protections for students experiencing homelessness are still in effect, as are Title I Part A homeless set-aside requirements and protections for students in foster care, and protections for students with disabilities. Funding for these programs remains available.
• Schools that receive funding through the Impact Aid program (schools located on military bases, tribal lands, or near national parks, as well as those in areas with tax-exempt federal land) will not receive these funds during the shutdown, as Impact Aid is provided on a monthly basis.
• Litigation challenging the firings has already begun. Additional lawsuits are expected.
• High-ranking Republican legislators have condemned the firings. 
• Congressional appropriators – on a bipartisan basis in both chambers – have recently rejected the Administration’s proposal to eliminate the EHCY program. Both committees preserved $129 million for the program in their FY2026 appropriations bills. 

What We Don’t Know

• There are reports that the Trump Administration may reinstate fired employees once the government reopens, but it is unclear if or when that might occur.
• It is unknown how long litigation will take to produce a preliminary injunction that could reinstate OESE and other affected staff.
• There are reports of mass firings at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, but the specific programs affected have not yet been confirmed.

Impact on Students Experiencing Homelessness and in Foster Care

Federal law – Section 724 of the McKinney-Vento Act – outlines the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) specific legal responsibilities for ensuring the education of students experiencing homelessness. In addition to administering funds for the EHCY program, ED is required to provide critical support and assistance to state educational agencies (SEAs), including:

• Responding to questions about identifying homeless students and ensuring their enrollment, stability, transportation, and access to services;
• Clarifying uses of EHCY funds;
• Supporting data collection and reporting; and
• Assisting parents and youth experiencing homelessness with questions about their educational rights.

Without ED’s capacity to fulfill these responsibilities, SEAs and local educational agencies (LEAs) will struggle to uphold the law’s protections. As a result, more than 1.5 million children and youth experiencing homelessness may lose access to the education they need to escape homelessness and achieve stability.

Similarly, ED supports educators who are charged with implementing the educational protections for children and youth in foster care under Title I Part A. SEAs and LEAs also look to ED for assistance on how to ensure access and stability for these vulnerable students, in collaboration with state and local child welfare agencies.

The staff who oversee the EHCY program and who support students in foster care bring decades of experience and deep subject-matter expertise. They are dedicated, highly respected professionals who provide invaluable guidance to educators across the country. They cannot be easily replaced. Their loss – if the firings are not reversed – will cause lasting harm to the education and well-being of students experiencing homelessness and those in foster care.

These Firings Must Be Reversed

These unnecessary firings endanger the education – and therefore the future – of our nation’s most vulnerable children and youth.  They strike at the heart of our nation’s promise to educate and protect every child.

• The Administration can and must reverse this decision immediately and reinstate the federal experts who have long ensured that students experiencing homelessness and those in foster care receive the education they deserve – as well as their colleagues supporting students across all programs. Their knowledge and partnership are indispensable to schools and communities nationwide.
• Congress also must ensure that all fired ED employees are reinstated and conduct vigorous oversight to ensure there are no disruptions to statutorily required services to students.

We urge educators, advocates, and allies to share accurate information – including that the McKinney-Vento Act and Title I, Part A protections remain fully in effect – and to document the effects of federal instability on your schools and communities. 

SchoolHouse Connection will continue to provide updates and to advocate fiercely for the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness.