Homeless Education (McKinney-Vento)
For questions or assistance, contact Marc Fortney, the McKinney-Vento northeast regional consultant, at mfortney@cboces.org or at (970) 352-7404 ext. 1178.
Or, contact the Federal Programs team at our Greeley or Fort Morgan office.
Resources
FORT MORGAN LOCATION
821 W. PLATTE AVENUE
FORT MORGAN, CO 80701
PHONE (970) 867-8297
FAX (970) 867-6129
GREELEY LOCATION
2020 Clubhouse Drive
Greeley, CO 80634
Phone (970) 352-7404
Fax (970) 352-7350
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act is a federal law that ensures immediate enrollment and educational stability for homeless children and youth. McKinney-Vento provides federal funding to states to support district programs that serve homeless students. Centennial BOCES is a regional leader that specializes in McKinney-Vento consultation.
Any displaced child or youth who is living in a shelter, motel, inadequate trailer or house, is staying temporarily with relatives or friends due to economic hardship or loss of housing, or is living in any other houseless situation has educational rights under the McKinney-Vento Act.
The purpose of the McKinney-Vento (MV) project administered by the Centennial Board of Cooperative Educational Services (CBOCES) is to ensure educational access, school stability and academic and social success for students experiencing housing insecurity throughout communities located in North central, Northeastern, and East central Colorado. In partnering with the North East and East Central BOCES, services and supports are offered to 50 school districts.
Additionally, four other large school districts are able to take advantage of leveraged resources for their students experiencing homelessness through collaboration with the CBOCES regional Migrant Education Program (MEP) grant. The Park R-3 school district located in Estes Park has requested to join forces with our MV project resulting in a total of 54 school districts to be served by this grant. CBOCES also operates three alternative high schools located in Fort Morgan, Greeley and Longmont for both rural and urban students, many who disproportionally experience homelessness throughout the year.
Over 1,273 students in grades pre K - high school I GED receive services and support through our MV project. CBOCES also operates the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA)- Basic Center Program (BCP) for 12-17 year olds. Our MV services range from high quality professional development, regional McKinney-Vento Summits, on-site consultation with district staff and students, community resource development and delivery, and solution-focused problem solving with students/families as they confront educational, social barriers and houselessness.
The CBOCES MV project collaborates with other community agencies and programs, such as Child Find, Head Start, the MEP, Title I Part A, Title II, Title Ill, Special Education, the School to Work Alliance Program (SWAP), local school districts, colleges and universities, non-profits, governmental and faith-based organizations to address the unique needs of MV students, families, and educators. The outcomes of our MV project are to promote and increase the enrollment and retention of students in school leading to academic and social success, graduation, and college and career readiness.
Partnering with Migrant Education
The McKinney-Vento Act is also purposefully integrated with our regional Migrant Education Program. Our students' experiences of high mobility (migrant) and housing insecurity parallel one another in a troubling way. According to our 2013 regional MEP data, migrant students are six times more likely to experience a housing crisis than their non-migrant agricultural peers.
Our migrant team builds relationships with families based on trust and respect, and brokers resources for many families who meet the criteria for migrant, refugee, homeless, and immigrant programs.
Runaway and Homeless Youth Act
For information about eligibility for services through McKinney-Vento, visit the Colorado Department of Education's website.
Frequently Asked Questions About Educational Rights of Homeless Children and Youth
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Programs, activities and employment opportunities of Centennial BOCES are offered without regard to race, color, sex (which includes marital status), sexual orientation (which includes transgender), religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, disability or need for special education services. In addition, employment practices of Centennial BOCES do not discriminate on the basis of age, genetic information or conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth. The Title IX, Section 504 and ADA compliance officer is Terry Buswell, Assistant Executive Director, 2020 Clubhouse Drive, Greeley, CO 80634, 970-352-7404, tbuswell@cboces.org