ECHS Gardena

Your Homeless and Foster Youth Liaison:

Cynthia Zapata

email: cynthia_zapata@ecsonline.org

phone: 424-295-9898

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. To that end, your school has adopted the following policy regarding the enrollment and education of homeless students.

A homeless student is defined as a person between the ages of two and eighteen who lacks a fixed, regular, and
adequate nighttime residence. It includes children and youths who:

• Live in an emergency or transitional shelter; abandoned building, parked car, or other facility not designed as a
  regular sleeping accommodation for human beings
• Live \”double-up\” with another family/are sharing the housing of other persons, due to loss of housing,
  economic hardship, or a similar reason;
• Live in a hotel or motel due to lack of alternate adequate accommodations;
• Live in a trailer park or campsite due to lack of alternate adequate accommodations;
• Have been abandoned at a hospital;
• Reside in a home for school-aged, unwed mothers or mothers-to-be if there are no other available living
  accommodations;
• Are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or
  similar settings; and
• Are a migratory or abandoned, runaway, or throwaway youth that qualifies as homeless because he/she is
  living in circumstances described above.

Homeless status is determined in cooperation with the parent or guardian. In the case of unaccompanied youth,
status is determined by the School Liaison.

The School Liaison shall ensure that:

• Homeless students are identified by school personnel and through coordination activities with other
  entities and agencies.
• Homeless students enroll in, and have a full and equal opportunity to succeed at ECS.
• Homeless students and families receive educational services for which they are eligible, including referrals to health care services, dental services, mental
  health services, and other appropriate services.
• Parents/guardians are informed of the educational and related opportunities available to their
  children and are provided with meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their
  children.
• Public notice of the educational rights of homeless children is disseminated at places where children
  receive services, such as schools, shelters, and soup kitchens.
• Enrollment/admissions disputes are mediated in accordance with law, the ECS charter(s), and
  Board policy.
• Parents/guardians and any unaccompanied youth are fully informed of all transportation services, as
  applicable.
• The School Liaison collaborates with State coordinators and community and school personnel
  responsible for the provision of education and related services to homeless children and youths.
  

Enrollment

ECS shall immediately admit/enroll the student (subject to the school\’s capacity and pursuant to any
procedures stated in the charter), even if the student lacks records normally required for enrollment. Records
will immediately be requested from the previous school.

If the student needs to obtain immunizations or does not possess immunization or other medical records, the
Principal or designee shall refer the parent/guardian to the School Liaison. The School Liaison shall assist the
parent/guardian in obtaining the necessary immunizations or records for the student.