Answer: The McKinney-Vento Act requires LEAs (school districts and charter schools) to remove barriers to enrollment and retention in school. 42 USC 11432(g)(1)(I). Sometimes, children experiencing homelessness do not have anywhere to go after school, as many shelters will not allow children into the shelter before a certain time, or a shelter or doubled-up arrangement will not allow the child in without a parent there, but the parent has to be at work. A young child being alone in a motel room could be extremely dangerous. In situations like that, dropping a student at day care may be the only option— the only way to remove the barrier to enrollment or retention in school. There also could be potential liability if the LEA is dropping a student in a location known to be unsafe, particularly if it dovetails with a potential McKinney-Vento violation.
There may be other ways to address the barrier, and this is worth discussing with the parent.