School and Transition Assistance for Youth (STAY)

Foster Youth and McKinney-Vento Youth

GGUSD is Committed to Removing Barriers to EDUCATION for Students Facing Housing Insecurity.

GGUSD’s STAY program has been developed to support students and families with unstable permanent housing. It helps families and supports children's educational needs.

WHO QUALIFIES?

UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS

While unaccompanied students are not referenced specifically in the McKinney-Vento definition of homeless, unaccompanied children and youth whose living arrangements meet the McKinney-Vento definition of homeless are eligible for services under the Act. The term unaccompanied youth is defined in the Act as “a homeless child or youth not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian” [42 U.S.C. § 11434a(6)].

STAY SUCCESS SERVICES

• Immediate enrollment
• Guidance with enrolling at the student’s school of residence or school of origin
• Collaborate with and refer to additional district or community resources
• Collaborate with site team support and district support to determine and provide resources
• Evaluate transportation needs

MC KINNEY VENTO ASSISTANCE RIGHTS

• Staying in the same school, even if you move, and receiving transportation to and from that school if it is in your best educational interest to stay
• Immediate enrollment, even if you don’t have the documents that are typically required for enrollment
• Receiving free school meals
• Connecting younger children to early childhood services
• College readiness assistance for high school students
• Referrals to the community for help with other needs

What Makes You Eligible for the McKinney-Vento Act?

If you are under 18 years old (with some exceptions) and are not in a permanent stable housing, which includes but is not limited to:

• Moving around a lot
• Staying in a shelter (family shelter, domestic violence shelter, transitional living program, etc.)
• Living in a hotel, motel, or weekly rate housing
• Living in a car, abandoned building, campground, or on the street
• Living in substandard housing (without electricity, water, or heat)
• Living with another family due to loss of housing, economic hardship or similar reason (“Doubled Up”)

School of Origin

Right to remain in School of Origin, as long as it is in the best interest of the student. This includes:

• The school the student last attended when they were permanently housed.
• The school in which they were last enrolled while homeless.
• A school where the student attended in the last 15 months that they felt connected to.
• Matriculation rights between elementary and middle or middle and high school.
• If any dispute, the youth has right to remain in School of Origin until dispute resolved.
• Preschool age children experiencing homelessness have right to School of Origin.

Immediate Enrollment

• Right to immediately enroll in school, regardless of lack of documentation (immunizations, birth certificate, transcripts, address); even if they have missed application or enrollment deadlines.
• Must be enrolled in the same or equivalent classes as previous school, even if transferring mid-semester.

• Right to participate in any activities available at new school immediately that any other student would qualify for (sports teams, tutoring, after- school clubs, AVID, etc.).
• Right to 1st priority access to state-funded after-school programs in elementary school and 2nd priority access to state-funded after-school programs.
• California Interscholastic Federation (CIF): Right to maintain residential eligibility to participate in school sports and apply for hardship to bypass the sit out period for varsity sport played at a previous school.

School Records

• Right for records to be transferred immediately. Records are prohibited to be withheld for any reason.
• Prohibits requiring a student to retake a course or portions of a course, if student has satisfactorily completed coursework in a public school, juvenile court school, or Non-Public School.

Transportation

• Right to transportation assistance provided or arranged by Local Education Agency (LEA), if needed. If student attending SOO, the district of residence and district of origin must split the cost.

Partial Credits

• Right to be awarded full or partial credit satisfactorily completed. Must be awarded by district of attendance.
• Requires credits to be applied to the same or equivalent coursework from previous school.

Complete the STAY questionnaire if you believe you are eligible and need support or services.

School and Transitional Youth (STAY) McKinney-Vento / English

School and Transitional Youth (STAY) McKinney-Vento / Spanish

School and Transitional Youth (STAY) McKinney-Vento / Vietnamese

You can also contact the Garden Grove Unified School District’s McKinney-Vento liaison with any questions.

Marvin Atkins, Jr., Director of Student Services or email: matkinsjr@ggusd.us