The Octorara Area School District believes that homeless youth should have access to free and appropriate public education and wishes to limit the barriers that homeless children may face.  Our goal is to have the educational process continue as uninterrupted as possible while children are in homeless situations.

Defining Homeless 
The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children as "individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence." The act provides examples of children who would fall under this definition:

• Children and youth sharing housing due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason

• Children and youth living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camp grounds due to lack of alternative accommodations

• Children and youth living in emergency or transitional shelters

• Children and youth abandoned in hospitals

• Children and youth awaiting foster care placement

• Children and youth whose primary nighttime residence is not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation (e.g. park benches, etc.)

• Children and youth living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations

• Migratory children and youth living in any of the above situations

  Below are links to resources with further information and details.  Should you have any questions, you can contact Cheryl Todd at ctodd@octorara.org or 610-593-8238 X3501.

  Pennsylvania Department of Education-Homeless Education

  National Coalition for Homeless

  Octorara Area School District-Homeless Students-Policy 251

  PA Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness

  Family Promise of Southern Chester County

  Parkesburg Point

  Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness

  Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Flyer

  Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Flyer - Spanish