What is Duval McKinney-Vento Program (DMVP)?
The Stewart B. McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act authorizes direct services that enable homeless children, including preschool-aged children and youth, to enroll, attend, and achieve success in school. Our homeless education program is now entitled Duval McKinney-Vento Program or DMVP. The primary goal of DMVP is to ensure that barriers are reduced or eliminated so that the students are able to maintain school stability when experiencing homelessness.
Goals
- To identify children and youth who are homeless
- To enroll homeless children in school
- To provide intervention services to homeless students
- To track homeless students
- To provide awareness training to district and school-based staff, students, parents, and community agencies
Homeless Definition
The term “homeless children and youth” means individuals who lack fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence… and includes-(i) children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; (ii) children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings…(iii) children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and (iv) migratory children who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii). The term “unaccompanied youth” includes a youth not in the physical custody of a biological parent or legal guardian.
Services Available
- Assistance with school enrollment
- Assistance with obtaining school records
- Tutorial services (pending availability of funds)
- Assistance with transportation to school, appointments, etc.
- Assistance with obtaining appointments for medical examinations, immunizations, etc.
- Assistance with obtaining dental check-ups and birth certificates
- Assistance with clothing and school supplies
- Referrals to social service agencies for financial assistance, shelter, etc.
Student Eligibility
Project Access serves homeless children and youth from birth to 21 years of age. This includes children who are eligible for Head Start, Even Start, and preschool programs administered by the Local Education Agency (LEA).
Referral Procedures
Teachers, principals, school social workers, parents, school psychologists, students, and community agency staff may refer individuals in the community.