Resources to Support Children and Youth Displaced by Disasters
This page includes comprehensive resources and guidance for supporting disaster-displaced students through the McKinney-Vento Act, including policy explanations, rights flyers, liaison insights, and additional resources.
Most children and youth who are displaced by disasters are likely to be eligible for the protections and services of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This page compiles SHC’s disaster-related resources.
Disasters uproot families and youth and create many educational and other challenges. Schools and early childhood programs are on the front lines of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, and play a critical role in providing stability and support.
Five Key Disaster Policies for Schools
Schools can provide stability, normalcy, and support for children and youth who are displaced by disasters. This brief summarizes five key policies and provides quick tips for their implementation.
Watch this brief explainer video (2 minutes)
Displaced By Disasters: Know Your Rights Flyers
This informational flyer, available in English and Spanish, helps families who have lost housing due to disasters understand their children’s educational rights under the McKinney-Vento Act. It outlines eligibility criteria, key legal protections, and available support services, while providing guidance on how to connect with local assistance.
Lessons from Real Life: McKinney-Vento Liaisons Share Insights on Disaster Response
This page shares disaster response lessons and insights from McKinney-Vento Liaisons nationwide.
- Strategies for school districts from Meagan Meloy, Homeless Liaison from the Butte County Office of Education, based on lessons learned from the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California.
Resources
Early education and care settings can provide stability for young children who are homeless due to disasters, as well as a safe place while parents seek supports they will need to re-establish their families. McKinney-Vento liaisons are required to ensure that young children experiencing homelessness have access to and receive Head Start, early intervention programs (Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), and preschool programs administered by local educational agencies. 42 USC §11432(g)(6)(A)(iii)
The ability to share information quickly among schools, disaster response agencies, shelters, and other service providers will expedite connections to the services that families need. Liaisons are encouraged to connect with disaster response agencies and other service providers to build awareness around McKinney-Vento and processes to refer youth and families to the LEA’s liaison. To facilitate appropriate information-sharing, ask community partners to include your LEA specifically on release of information forms, and include disaster response agencies, shelters, and other service providers on release of information forms that parents, guardians and youth sign upon enrollment in your school.
- A McKinney-Vento Toolbox: Constructing a Robust and Rigorous Homeless Education Program, in Case of Disaster and Every Day
- National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster Long Term Recovery Guide
- See Especially: Appendix 1, Commonly Used Acronyms in Disaster Work
- Appendix 2, Common Terms and Definitions
- Appendix 3, Federal Disaster Programs
In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, as well as over the following months and even years, children and youth can suffer from anxiety, fear, and other emotional consequences of trauma. Parents and other caregivers also may be struggling emotionally with loss of home, possessions, pets, and even lives. Connecting students and families to mental health supports immediately can help parents, caregivers, and students feel safe and ready to focus on school.