Schools are required to identify, enroll, and serve children and youth experiencing homelessness. If you and your family are experiencing homelessness, you have educational rights, and help is available.
How to Get Help
Experiencing homelessness? Here are some resources to help.
If you’re experiencing homelessness as a child, youth, parent, caregiver of a PreK-12 child, pregnant, and/or the parent of an infant, toddler, or preschool-age child, you have educational rights.
To equip you with the right resources, select your role.
I am a child or youth who meet the federal definition of homelessness.
If you are staying temporarily with someone else because you had to leave your home, or staying in a motel, campground, shelter, or in an outside or inadequate place, you have special rights at school — even if you are not staying with a parent or a guardian.
For PreK-12 students, those rights include:
- Staying in the same school even if you move, and receiving transportation to that school, as long as it is in your best interest
- Enrolling in school immediately without the documents schools usually require, and without a parent or guardian
- Receiving free school meals
- Getting help with school supplies, including what is needed to participate in distance learning and other needs
For youth under age 24 who are experiencing homelessness on their own, and seeking to attend college, please see our FAFSA page to learn more about how you can access financial aid.
To get help:
Contact your school district’s local homeless education liaison to find out if you qualify for help, or ask a counselor, teacher, or other trusted adult to connect you to the liaison.
Every school district is required to designate a local homeless education liaison, who is responsible for helping children and youth experiencing homelessness and connecting them with relevant local resources.
For youth under age 24 who are experiencing homelessness on their own, and seeking to attend college, please see our FAFSA page (schoolhouseconnection.org/fafsa) to learn more about how you can access financial aid.
More Resources for Children and Youth
Find resources written by students, for students, that are designed to help you succeed in K-12, higher education, and life. Resources address topics such as understanding homeless definitions, getting help with financial aid, accessing child care, reviewing a lease, choosing and buying a cell phone plan, and more.
I am a parent or caregiver who meet the federal definition of homelessness.
If you are staying temporarily with someone else because you lost your housing, or staying in a motel, campground, shelter, or in an outside or inadequate place, you and your children have special rights at school. These include:
- Keeping your children in the same school even if you move, and receiving transportation to that school, as long as it is in the student’s best interest
- Enrolling in school immediately without the documents schools usually require
- Receiving free school meals
- Getting help with school supplies and other needs
- Receiving extra support for youth who are on their own
- Connecting young children with early childhood service
Your school district must uphold these rights under the law.
To get help:
Connect with the local homeless education liaison in your school district to receive help.
Every school district is required to designate a local homeless education liaison, who is responsible for helping children and youth experiencing homelessness and connecting them with relevant local resources.
I am pregnant and/or the parent of an infant, toddler, or preschool-age child
There is a program called Head Start that may be able to help. Children experiencing homelessness are eligible for Head Start (preschool for three and four year olds) and Early Head Start (infants and toddlers). These programs must locate and recruit children experiencing homelessness, and prioritize them for enrollment. Homeless children can start attending without proof of age or immunizations.
The best way to find local programs is to contact your Head Start State Collaboration Office. You also can look through this directory of local programs.
Get resources and activities for your children from Sesame Street in Communities, including tips for how to talk to your child about homelessness and how to create a feeling of home even if you are moving around a lot.