Empowering Homeless Youth Through Cyber Education

Empowering & Educating Homeless Youth

Navigating the challenges of experiencing homelessness can be overwhelming, especially for children and youth. At PALCS, we understand the importance of providing support and stability while facing this uniquely difficult experience. We work closely with families to ensure consistency in school enrollment and attendance while offering assistance to connect to in-school supports and identify local community-based support available to access needed resources and stabilize their living situations. Whether temporarily displaced or facing more prolonged challenges, we strive to provide a helping hand and a pathway to brighter futures.

Providing Opportunities for Every Student

The McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth 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 for the purpose of supporting district programs that serve homeless students. The Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School works with families and agencies to help identify children experiencing homelessness and address any barriers to their school enrollment and attendance, while working with families to identify the community supports available to them to help them stabilize their situations and address their current needs.

Children and youth are eligible for services under the McKinney-Vento Act if they have been displaced from their homes and are living in a place that is not fixed, regular, or adequate, such as:

Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason

In a place not designated as a regular sleeping accommodation, such as a vehicle, park, hotel, or campground

In a homeless or domestic violence shelter or transitional housing placement

Outside of his/her home as an unaccompanied youth

Awaiting foster care

In any of the situations listed above as the child of a migrant family

Your Rights
Children and youth experiencing homelessness have the right to:
- Continue their education in their current school, and receive transportation OR enroll immediately in the school where they are temporarily housed, even if lacking the paperwork normally required
- Participate in all applicable school programs, including supplemental services
- Receive free lunch
  Please note: Cyber schools are not able to participate in the National School Lunch Program.
- Receive assistance with school-related expenses
Additional Resources
To speak with the PALCS Community Resource and Homeless Liaison, please contact:

Alicia Ryberg
484-883-5448 (call or text) or 610-701-3333 ext. 1473 (call only)
aryberg@palcs.org

For PALCS students eligible for services under the McKinney-Vento Act, additional support is available through our PALCS Community Closet and virtual PALCS Community Resource Center.

Below are several websites for additional information:
- PA Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH) Program: Region 2
- PDE Directory for Liaisons and Shelters in the State (click on the word “Liaisons” or “Shelters” for each website)
- PDE Homeless Education
- “Does my living situation meet the McKinney-Vento definition of homelessness?” guide from SchoolHouse Connection