Homeless & Foster Youth
McKinney-Vento Act - Homeless Liaison
The Fountain Valley School District strives to provide quality education, opportunities, and services to children and youth facing homelessness. The District ensures that homeless students and their families know their legal rights to receive those services. Homeless students have the right to:
- Go to school, no matter where they live now or how long they have lived there.
- Start school immediately, with an extended time to produce records and immunization proof normally required for enrollment
- Attend the neighborhood school closest to where they currently live, or, attend their school of origin. School of origin is the school the child attended when permanently houses or the school in which the child or youth was last enrolled.
- Receive transportation to and from their original school (school of origin), whenever feasible.
- Participate fully in all school activities, while their new school arranges for records transfers.
- Receive the same programs and services as their schoolmates, and be treated with the same respect and attention as their classmates. It is against federal law to separate students based on their living conditions. And it harms the educational process that is our goal to fulfill.
Foster Youth Liaison
Every student in the Fountain Valley School District is guaranteed equal access to the same opportunities for academic achievement and supports, including children and in foster care. Foster youth have educational rights established through Assembly Bills 167, 216, and 490 to help eliminate barriers to education and ensure school stability. These rights are now part of the California Education Code. It is important for school staff to be fully aware of these rights as well as parent/guardians and foster youth themselves.
To learn more about federal law specifically protecting the rights of foster youth, and district supports under the law, contact the District's Foster Youth Liaison, Erin Bains in Student Services & Safety at (714)843-3277 or email at b[email protected]