The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act for Homeless Children and Youth entitles all homeless school-aged children to the same free and appropriate public education that is provided to non-homeless students.  A homeless student is defined as a child or youth who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence The law requires the immediate enrollment of homeless students.  Schools cannot delay or prevent the enrollment of a student due to the lack of school or immunization records. It is the responsibility of the school to request all necessary documents from previous school, and refer parents to all programs and services for which the student is eligible.

Directory information shall not be released regarding a pupil identified as a homeless child or youth unless a parent, or pupil accorded parental rights, as identified in the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1232g), has provided written consent that directory information may be released.

Furthermore, the District shall ensure that transportation is provided as appropriate, at the request of the parent/guardian/unaccompanied homeless youth, to and from the school of origin, if feasible.  For further information please contact the Homeless Youth Liaison, Irma Padilla, at 661-849-4240. 

Children supervised by the Department of Children and Family Services or Department of Probation and placed in licensed foster homes, group homes, with relative caretakers, or residing with biological parent(s) have special enrollment provisions.  Assembly Bill 490 mandates that student in foster care must be immediately enrolled in school regardless of the availability of school records, immunization records, school uniforms, or the existence of fines from a previous school. Educators, school personnel, social workers, probation officers, caregivers, and other interested parties shall all work together to serve the educational needs of student living in out-of-home care.

Assembly Bill 1933 (effective January 1, 2011) allows youth in foster care to attend their school of origin and, if applicable, matriculate to the secondary school in the same attendance area where the child is placed with a family who resides in a different attendance area. The school district serving the student in foster care shall allow the youth to continue his or her education in the school of origin for the duration of the jurisdiction of the court.  If the jurisdiction of the court is terminated prior to the end of an academic year, the student in foster care shall be allowed to continue his or her education in the school of origin for the duration of the academic school year.

AB 490 requires every school district to designated a local liaison whose responsibilities include ensuring that children under foster care are identified and placed in the least restrictive educational placement and has access to the academic resources, services, and extra-curricular and enrichment activities that are available to all pupils. The Foster Youth Liaison for the Earlimart School District is Irma Padilla. Any information regarding Earlimart student’s in foster care should be referred to Irma Padilla at 661-849-4240.