Project ACCESS

Overview

The Fresno Unified Governing Board believes that all children should have the opportunity to receive appropriate educational services. All children residing within the district shall have immediate access to district schools and services. Children identified as homeless under the federal McKinney-Vento Act have educational rights.

Children living in foster care receive similar rights under state law AB490, because they are at high risk for academic failure as well. Homeless children and children living in foster care shall be admitted with or without a permanent address. When feasible, they shall remain in the “school of origin”. School of origin means the school that the child or youth attended when permanently housed, or the school in which the child or youth was last enrolled. Staff shall encourage parents/guardians to enroll all school-aged children in school. – Fresno Board Policy 5111.13 & 6173.

How Do We Define Homelessness?

The McKinney-Vento Act defines homelessness as “lacking a fixed, regular, stable, and adequate nighttime residence”

It includes:

• Runaways
• Families temporarily doubled up or tripled up
• Those who live in cars, on the streets, in shelters or in areas no usually considered fit for habitation
• Students awaiting foster care placement
• Migrant students only
• IF their housing fits the description of “homeless”

What Are My Child’s Rights?

• A free, appropriate, public school education (View Project ACCESS Brochure in English, Spanish and Hmong under Quick Links on the right)
• Enroll without a permanent address or school records. Project ACCESS form completed at Department of Prevention and Intervention
• Enroll a child for whom I am not the legal guardian (Caregiver Affidavit completed at Department of Prevention and Intervention)
• Enroll without the normal documents needed for school enrollment
• Maintain original school of enrollment if homeless, using bus tokens provided through Prevention and Intervention

How are Homeless and Foster Youth Identified and Tracked?

Fresno Unified School District Department of Prevention and Intervention codes identified students in ATLAS using a letter code for homeless students and a numerical code for students in foster care.