Homeless and Foster Youth

Homeless Youth

School districts are responsible for ensuring that youth who are experiencing homelessness have full access to educational programs in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. 

Brochure: Displaced Children (PDF)

All Old Adobe Union School District students have the right to enroll in and attend school, even when housing becomes uncertain. The District provides homeless students with:

• Enrollment within 24 hours
• Free and reduced-price meals
• Removal of barriers to education
• School supplies, transportation assistance, and support service referrals

If a child lacks “fixed, regular, and adequate housing,” federal and state laws require immediate school enrollment for that child – even without proof of residency or medical, school, or legal guardianship records.

Coordinated Entry for Homeless Students:

Sonoma County Coordinated Entry is a “no wrong door” approach for families and individuals experiencing homelessness to access emergency shelter and housing resources. It aims to streamline the process to qualify for shelter and housing programs. These include Rapid Rehousing, Transitional Housing, Emergency Shelter and Permanent Supportive Housing units throughout the county. Learn more by downloading this information flier in English or Spanish. For more information, call the Coordinated Entry System at 1-866-542-5480 (M-F, 9am-5pm) or email  CE@srcharities.org.

Definition of “homelessness”

According to the McKinney-Vento Act, a student is homeless if s/he lives:

• In a shelter such as a family, domestic violence, or youth shelter or transitional living program
• In a motel, hotel, or weekly-rate housing
• In shared housing with more than one family due to economic hardship or loss
• In an abandoned building, car, campground, or on the street
• In temporary foster care or temporarily with an adult who is not his/her parent or guardian
• In substandard housing (without electricity, water, or heat)
• With friends or family because they are a runaway or unaccompanied youth

Foster youth

The Old Adobe Union School District has a responsibility to support our students living in foster care to ensure access to their education and attain their educational goals. This support takes the form of collaboration with students and families, school and district staff, and other county agencies in order to remove barriers to educational access and expand educational opportunities.

In partnership with all of the agencies serving youth in the foster care system, the District provides resources and support to school staff and families in order to create a bridge that will help students succeed.

District Foster Youth Education Liaison supports foster youth in our districts by:

• Facilitating immediate enrollment in school
• Ensuring the timely transfer of education records when a foster youth changes school placements
• Supporting academic achievement
• Encouraging school attendance and reducing truancy and drop-out rates
• Reducing incidents of student discipline problems and juvenile delinquency
• Communicating with foster youth and appropriate supporting individuals such as foster parents, education rights holders, social workers, and CASA in order to provide coordinated support to foster youth.
• Ensuring that foster youth receive the appropriate safeguards under: AB 490 (School Stability and Timely Transfer of Records) and AB 167 (High School Graduation Requirements)

Homeless and Foster Youth District Liaison: Cindy Kerr- Friberg (707) 765-4319 cfriberg@oldadobe.org