The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act was passed in 1987 and was most recently amended by Title IX, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in December 2015. Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act authorizes the federal Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Grant Program and serves as the primary federal legislation to remove educational barriers due to experiencing homelessness.

The U.S. Department of Education allocates EHCY funding to states according to each state's proportion of Title I, Part A funds. States may retain up to 25 percent of the EHCY funding for state-level program administration and must subgrant at least 75 percent to Local Education Agencies (LEAs). 

Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Grant Information, Application Materials, and Resources

The State Education Agency (SEA) must run a competitive subgrant process at least every three years to allocate the Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) funds to Local Education Agencies (LEAs). The EHCY funds are designed to supplement, not supplant, the existing resources and services to eliminate barriers to the identification, immediate enrollment, regular attendance, and academic success of students experiencing homelessness (42 U.S.C. § 11433(a)(3)). 

EHCY grant funds are awarded on a highly competitive basis and selection is based on the proposed project’s quality, assessment of the educational and related needs of eligible students, and the ability of the applicant to meet the identified needs. 

FY27 is the first year of the current three-year EHCY grant cycle. Other EHCY grant funding opportunities may become available throughout the three-year EHCY funding cycle.

Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Subgrant Allocations

Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Subgrant Budget Resources

• USFR for Arizona School Districts
• EHCY Grant Budget Cheat Sheet
• McKinney-Vento EHCY Allowable Uses of Funds (1-16)
• EHCY Use of Funds Tip Sheet
• Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Reference Document
• Title I-A Set-Aside Allowable Uses and Guidance for Homeless Children and Youth
• EHCY Budget Revision Guidance
• EHCY Budget Narrative Description Guidance
• ADE Budget Narrative Description Guidance

State of Arizona McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison Contact List 

If you need to contact a McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison for support, please utilize the following list:

State of Arizona McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison Contact List

McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison Contact Forms

The McKinney-Vento Act requires that contact information for the local liaisons for homeless children and youth at all public and public charter local education agencies (LEAs) is published an accurate. (42 U.S.C. §11432 (e)(3)(C)(i)(IV)). The following forms are designed to collect this contact information. Please ensure the completion of the correct form. If any questions or concerns arise, please reach the Office of the State Coordinator at [email protected]. 

Homeless Education Program Newsletter

Would you like to receive updates regarding Homeless Education Program in Arizona?* Stay informed by signing up for the newsletter via the link below: 

Subscribe to the HEP Newsletter

*McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaisons will automatically receive the monthly newsletter based on their contact form submission, and do not need to subscribe. 

Homeless Education Program Advisory Committee Contact List

The Homeless Education Program (HEP) Liaison Advisory Committee are experienced homeless liaisons committed to providing best interest policies and decisions for the state and local liaisons.

Federal Regulations

The Education of Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Program is authorized under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (McKinney-Vento Act) and is designed to address the needs of homeless children and youth and to ensure their educational rights and protections. The McKinney-Vento Act defines “homeless” as it applies to children and youth.

There are many resources available that provide guidance on the McKinney-Vento Act.

The McKinney-Vento Act Federal Law (Part B) -  Learn about the basic federal laws that pertain to homeless youth.  You can read the McKinney Vento Act in its entirety and use for citation.

Non-Regulatory Guidance- The Non-Regulatory Guidance is the most frequented document. This document provides answers to the most frequently asked questions. 

Head Start Policy and Regulations - Head Start policies are available to ensure that our vulnerable young homeless children have access to early childhood education.   

Local educational agencies (LEAs) are required to ensure that the rights and services guaranteed in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act are implemented for all students experiencing homelessness. All LEAs must follow the requirements of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, regardless of if they are a recipient of an Education of Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) subgrant.

The LEA's McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison is required to develop, review, and revise policies and procedures to remove barriers to the identification, enrollment, and retention of students experiencing homelessness (42 U.S.C. § 11432(g)(1)(I)), ESSA Arizona State Plan (K)(1); (K)(6)). Required in all LEAs regardless of subgrant status, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison is the primary contact between homeless families, school and LEA staff, shelter workers, and other service providers.

The ADE Office of the Coordinator has developed guidance documents and sample forms in alignment with both the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and the ESSA Arizona State Plan. Please note that these documents have been developed for McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaisons to adopt and adapt to fit the needs of their LEAs. To edit a sample document, refer to the Converting Sample Documents for LEA Use Guidance Document.

Please check back frequently for additions and revisions.

New Resource!

We are excited to announce a new and highly requested guidance document, the LEA Homeless Education Program Guidance Documents and Forms List! The information in this document has been compiled to help support Liaisons as they endeavor to establish and conduct policies, practices, and procedures to ensure the removal of barriers for homeless children and youth within their LEA. This comprehensive list organizes all of the available sample documents found on this site with a description, corresponding statute, and a link to each sample document.

Overview

All Local Education Agencies (LEAs), including charter districts, are required to report reliable, valid, and comprehensive data on homeless children and youth (HCY) and unaccompanied homeless youth (UHY) to the State Education Agency (SEA), as mandated by 42 U.S.C. § 11432 (g)(6)(C). These data are reported to the U.S. Department of Education to determine Arizona's Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) allocation and guide programmatic decisions for the Arizona Department of Education's (ADE) Homeless Education Program.

Data Reporting Requirements

Local Education Agencies must adhere to the following reporting requirements for the Homeless Education Program:

• Identified HCY must have a corresponding primary nighttime residence entered in the Student Information System (SIS).
• Identified UHY must be flagged within the Homeless Program in the SIS and no longer reported as a separate need.
• All identified HCY and UHY must be reported via the SIS, even if services are declined by the parent, guardian, or youth.

Key Considerations:

• Students in foster care should not be included in HCY data reporting, in alignment with the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
• Children ages 3-5 attending LEA-administered preschool programs are included in HCY counts, while those not attending are excluded.
• HCY and UHY identifiers should not be removed from the SIS, even if the student transfers to another LEA or secures permanent housing.

Data Reporting Tools and Reports

LEAs can access the following reports via the AzEDS portal to ensure compliance and accuracy in data reporting:

• HEP10 Report: 
  • This report provides all Homeless Education Program data that has been submitted to the ADE. This information is available immediately after submission and is pre-integrity.
  • Reference this report to confirm that your LEA student data has been successfully submitted to ADE.
• HEP72 Report: 
  • This report provides all Homeless Education Program post-integrity data that has been submitted to ADE. This information is updated nightly and includes the integrity status of the submitted Homeless Education Program data by “District of Attendance” and “District of Residence”. The status and date of the latest integrity process run will determine the accuracy of the data contained in the HEP72 report.
  • Reference this report to ensure that all data reporting elements that have passed integrity checks are accurate by comparing the report with the LEA’s internal tracking system.
• INTEG15 Report:
  • This report displays a post-integrity list of student data related to membership and their integrity status results. The status and date of the latest integrity process run will determine the accuracy of the data contained in the INTEG15. 
  • Reference this report to identify and address the specific reasons preventing the HCY and UHY student data from passing integrity checks.

Data Integrity Rules: Error Codes & Explanations

The attached Data Reporting Requirements & Integrity Rules reference document is designed to help local education agencies (LEAs) and McKinney-Vento Liaisons accurately report enrollment data for homeless children and youth (HCY). It also provides guidance on addressing potential data integrity issues when submitting data to the Arizona Department of Education.

Communication to the Field

This section includes links to official communications and notifications sent to LEAs across Arizona. These communications provide updates on data reporting requirements, programmatic changes, and critical deadlines. Maintaining access to these documents ensures transparency and supports LEAs in meeting compliance standards.

• December 16, 2024 - FY25_Final Notification of Updated Data Reporting Requirements
• November 27, 2024 - Support for LEAs Experiencing SIS Issues in Meeting FY25  Data Reporting Deadline
• October 23, 2024 - FY25 General Notification of Data Reporting Requirements

Comprehensive Needs Assessment

The Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) conducted by the Arizona Homeless Education Program team identifies the primary needs of homeless students and informs the use of program funds. This assessment is essential for guiding the development and implementation of services that address the unique challenges faced by homeless children and youth. The findings from the CNA help ensure that resources are directed to areas of greatest impact.

• Arizona Homeless Education Program CNA Report

Homeless Student Count Data

The Arizona Annual Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR) provides comprehensive data on homeless student enrollment and program performance. These reports, compiled through EDFacts by the U.S. Department of Education, are vital for evaluating the effectiveness of federal education programs and ensuring compliance with statutory requirements. The CSPR serves as a critical resource for programmatic decision-making and allocation of funding for the Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program.

• AZ Annual Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR) 2021-2022
• AZ Annual Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR) 2020-2021
• AZ Annual Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR) 2019-2020
• AZ Annual Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR) 2018-2019
• AZ Annual Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR) 2017-2018
• AZ Annual Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR) 2016-2017

Links and Resources

Visit the following resources for additional information:

• National Data on the Education for Homeless Children and Youth
• NCHE-National Data Overview
• AZ School Report Cards
• ED Data Express
• ADE Information Technology

Contact Information

For assistance with data reporting, please contact the ADE Homeless Education Program at [email protected].

It is important to understand the McKinney-Vento Act’s definition of “homeless” as it applies to children and youth.  Learn about the basic federal laws that pertain to homeless youth.  You can read the McKinney Vento Act in its entirety and use for citation.  The Non-Regulatory Guidance is the most frequented document, to look for questions and answers.  Title 1, Part A is set aside funding for McKinney Vento students and many resources are available to help with how to utilize these funds.  Finally, Head Start policies are available to ensure that our vulnerable young homeless children have access to early childhood education. 

The McKinney Vento Act Federal Law (Part B)

Non-Regulatory Guidance

Title I, Part A

Head Start Policy and Regulations

Local Arizona Agencies for Families and Youth

Phoenix Area

• One-N-Ten
• Homeless Youth Connection
• NATIVE
• uMOM New Day Center

Tucson area 

• Youth On Their Own
• Our Family Services

Flagstaff Area 

• Northland Family Help Center

Silvia Chavez State Coordinator Homeless Inbox  (602) 542-4963

Please download the toolkit from NCHE as your resource. It can be found following the link below:

• NCHE Homeless Liaison Toolkit