1. Taking a State Perspective in Meeting the Needs of Older Youth Experiencing Homelessness Thank you for joining us. The webinar will begin shortly. While you wait, jot down your answers to these two questions: 1. What federal laws and agencies must state coordinators consider when serving older youth? 2. What do state coordinators need to know about their state code when serving older youth?

2. Taking a State Perspective in Meeting the Needs of Older Youth Experiencing Homelessness Webinar for NCHE, July 17, 2012 Lorraine Husum Allen, Florida Lynda Thistle-Elliott, New Hampshire Patricia A. Popp, Virginia

3. Agenda Introductions Setting the context Determining eligibility – UHY v UY Parental rights School access (including higher ed) Healthcare Food stability Housing Promising practices & next steps

4. Getting a lay of the land Federal legislation State legislation and policy What’s working? What isn’t? (aka needs assessment)

5. Poll – select all that apply In serving older youth as state coordinator, I have worked with: Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs Child Welfare Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Health Department

6. What do state coordinators need to know about their state code when serving older youth?

7. How do we find out What’s working? What isn’t working?

8. 8 Florida Homeless Education Program Advisory Council Mission and Purpose of Advisory Council Review/Discuss Current Policies, Procedures, Rules, etc. as they Pertain to Homeless Students and Possible Barriers including ◦ Enrollment/Attendance ◦ School Success (including Extracurricular Activities) ◦ Exceptional Student Education (ESE) ◦ Food and Nutrition ◦ Unaccompanied Homeless Youth ◦ Proof of Identification/ ◦ Attending Postsecondary Education Institutions

9. Who are Unaccompanied Students? 2-step process 1)Does the student’s living arrangement meet the McKinney-Vento Act’s definition of homeless? 2)Once homelessness is determined, is the student unaccompanied? Unaccompanied = “not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian”; in practical terms, this means the youth does not live with the parent or guardian

10. Scenario: Kristin Kristin’s mom was incarcerated during her senior year in high school. Her older sister moved back to the family’s house to be with Kristin while her mom was gone. According to McKinney-Vento, is Kristin an unaccompanied homeless youth?

11. Scenario: Jerold Jerold was kicked out of his house in his junior year of high school. He’d had problems getting along with his stepmom for some time and the level of conflict had gotten out of control. He went to live with his friend, Kevin, but Kevin’s parents said Jerold can only stay there until the end of the semester. According to McKinney-Vento, is Jerold an unaccompanied homeless youth?

12. Scenario: Sara Sara’s dad is a professor at a local college. He will be teaching in another state for one semester as a visiting professor. Because Sara is going into her senior year of high school, she plans to stay with a neighborhood friend while her dad is away. According to McKinney-Vento, is Sara an unaccompanied homeless youth?

13. Poll: UHY Data Collection How do your LEAs collect and report UHY numbers? a. They are flagged in the student record system. b. Subgrants maintain their own record and report to the state. c. I don’t know.

14. 798%increase from 2003-04 to present

16. Parental Rights FERPA Permission slips Extracurricular activities Healthcare Birth Certificates

17. School/Training Access K-12 ◦ Immediate enrollment ◦ School activities ◦ Extracurricular activities Higher education ◦ FAFSA ◦ Waivers ◦ Partnerships Workforce Investment Act ◦ Youth Services ◦ Job Corps

18. Florida Certified Homeless Youth CS/HB 1351 amends s. 382.002, F. S., Definitions Defines the term “certified homeless youth” as a minor who is a homeless child or youth, including an unaccompanied youth, as defined in 42 U.S.C. s. 11434a, and has been certified as homeless or unaccompanied by: ◦ A school district homeless liaison; ◦ The director of an emergency shelter program funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, or the director’s designee; or ◦ The director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, or the director’s designee. http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName= _h1351er.docx&DocumentType=Bill&BillNumber=1351&Session=2012 18

19. Florida Exemption for Homeless Students Per section 1009.25, Florida Statutes, the following students are exempt from the payment of tuition and fees, including lab fees, at a school district that provides postsecondary career programs, Florida College System institution, or state university: (f) A student who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence or whose primary nighttime residence is a public or private shelter designed to provide temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized, or a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings. 19

20. Florida Exemption for Homeless Students To qualify, students need documentation from: ◦ homeless shelter, ◦ school district homeless liaison, ◦ transitional living program, ◦ or runaway shelter Other documentation may be required depending on the college. The definition of homeless status for the fee exemption differs from the definition used for purposes of the FAFSA ◦ Just because a student meets one does not guarantee the student will meet the other. Since each college has autonomy over policies and practices, the verification process varies from college to college. ◦ Verification may fall under financial aid office, registrar’s office, or business office. 20

21. FAFSA/Florida Fee Exemptions Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Work with Division of Florida Colleges to provide technical assistance to school district liaisons and local financial aid staff to assist Unaccompanied Homeless Youth in verifying that they meet the “Independent” status Encourage school district liaisons to work with their local public colleges and universities to determine best process Homeless Youth (both Accompanied/Unaccompanied) Provide technical assistance to school district liaisons to establish process to connect homeless youth with financial aid officers regarding the Florida fee exemptions for homeless individuals Encourage school district liaisons to work with their local public colleges and universities to determine best process 21

22. Healthcare Medicaid and CHIP Consent for medical treatment Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

23. Food Stability School USDA programs (charter and high) SNAP & WIC http://www.snap-help.com/http://www.snap-help.com/ Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) ◦ Monthly cash payment to low-income families ◦ Teen parent can apply ◦ Must live with a parent, adult relative or another approved living situation (couch- surfing barrier)

24. Housing Continuum of care Runaway and Homeless Youth programs Host homes Group homes Independent living programs Community colleges v 4-year institutions

25. First steps and next steps Identify the need Identify the “keys” Look for the right doors Don’t be afraid to knock

26. Voices from HELP Briefing, June 2012 “I always wanted to be amazing.” – Sunny “Homelessness is nothing but barriers.” – Brandy “One caring, compassionate teacher changed my life.” – Nick

27. “I may be Homeless, but I am not Hopeless.” --Florida Le Tendre Scholarship Recipient 27

28. Be sure to check out: Unaccompanied Youth Toolkit ◦ http://naehcy.org/tk/cl.html http://naehcy.org/tk/cl.html Housing + High School = Success ◦ http://naehcy.org/housingyouth.html http://naehcy.org/housingyouth.html Higher Education Resources ◦ http://center.serve.org/nche/ibt/higher_ed.php http://center.serve.org/nche/ibt/higher_ed.php Student Voices ◦ http://www.all4ed.org/blog/student_interviews_ how_do_people_become_homeless http://www.all4ed.org/blog/student_interviews_ how_do_people_become_homeless