McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Liaison Grant

The Lee/Ogle ROE received a grant for 9 counties in Northwestern Illinois: Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, JoDavies, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, and Winnebago (excluding Rockford Public Schools. Goals of this grant are:

• To increase the community's awareness regarding issues of homelessness
• Provide training opportunities for school personnel regarding legal rights of homeless children/youth.
• Improve the academic achievement levels of homeless children by preparing an Individualized Optional Education Plan with involvement of parents and school personnel
• Increase school attendance of homeless children and youth
• Increase parent participation in meeting the educational, physical, and emotional needs of their children through the collaboration of service delivery between school and community agencies

Each school district in the nine counties identified a District Homeless Education Coordinator who will receive training on the McKinney-Vento Act, as well as a toolkit and information to post in each school.

Information on homelessness is available through the Opening Doors web site.