HOMELESS LIAISON RESPONSIBILITIES

Cited from the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in Title IX, Part A:

LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY LIAISON

(A)   DUTIES - Each local educational agency liaison for homeless children and youths, designated under paragraph (l)(J)(ii), shall ensure that-

(i)  homeless children and youths are identified by school personnel through outreach and coordination activities with other entities and agencies;
(ii)  homeless children and youths are enrolled in, and have a full and equal opportunity to succeed in, schools of that local educational agency;
(iii)  homeless families and homeless children and youths have access to and receive educational services for which such families, children, and youths are eligible, including services through Head Start programs (including Early Head Start programs) under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.), early intervention services under Part C of the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.), and other preschool programs administered by the local educational agency;
(iv)  homeless families and homeless children and youths receive referrals to health care services, dental services, mental health and substance abuse services, housing services, and other appropriate services;
(v)  the parents or guardians of homeless children and youths are informed of the educational and related opportunities available to their children and are provided with meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children;
(vi)   public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youths is disseminated in locations frequented by parents or guardians of such children and youths, and unaccompanied youths, including schools, shelters, public libraries, and soup kitchens, in a manner and form understandable to parents and guardians of homeless children and youths, and unaccompanied youths;
(vii)  enrollment disputes are mediated in accordance with paragraph (3)(E); and
(viii)  the parent or guardian of a homeless child or youth, and any unaccompanied youth, is fully informed of all transportation services, including transportation to the school of origin, as described in paragraph (1)(J)(iii), and is assisted in accessing transportation to the school that is selected under paragraph (3)(A);
(ix)  school personnel providing services under this subtitle receive professional development and other support; and
(x)  unaccompanied youths -

(I)  are enrolled in school;
(II)  have opportunities to meet the same challenging State academic standards as the State establishes for other children and youth, including through implementation of the procedures under paragraph (1)(F)(ii); and
(III)  are informed of their status as independent students under section 480 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087vv) and that the youths may obtain assistance from the local educational agency liaison to receive verification of such status for purposes of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid described in section 483 of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1090).

(B)   NOTICE - State Coordinators established under subsection (d)(3) and local educational agencies shall inform school personnel, service providers, and advocates working with homeless families, parents and guardians of homeless children and youths, and homeless children and youths of the duties of the local educational liaisons, and publish an annually updated list of the liaisons on the State educational agency's website.

(C)   LOCAL AND STATE COORDINATION - Local educational agency liaisons for homeless children and youths shall, as part of their duties, coordinate and collaborate with State Coordinators and community and school personnel responsible for the provision of education and related services to homeless children and youths. Such coordination shall include collecting and providing to the State Coordinator the reliable, valid, and comprehensive data needed to meet the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (3) of subsection (f).

(D)   HOMELESS STATUS. -A local educational agency liaison designated under paragraph (1)(J)(ii) who receives training described in subsection (f)(6) may affirm, without further agency action by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, that a child or youth who is eligible for and participating in a program provided by the local educational agency, or the immediate family of such a child or youth, who meets the eligibility requirements of this Act for a program or service authorized under title IV, is eligible for such program or service.

(42 u.s.c. § 11432(g)(6))