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Homeless Education 101
» Basic Information on Homeless Education
Free and Reduced-Price Lunch and Breakfast Programs
Recognizing the problem of increasing homelessness in our nation, the federal government has established a policy to simplify access to free meals for children in homeless situations under the child nutrition programs.
The duties of the local educational agency liaison include making sure that homeless children are identified by school personnel, that they have full opportunity to enroll and succeed in school, and that they receive educational and other services for which they are eligible. State agencies and school food authorities are to be particularly sensitive to children and households identified by the local educational agency liaison as homeless.
Before the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act was passed (2004), administrative guidance made homeless children, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, automatically eligible for free school meals. The Reauthorization Act establishes in law this categorical eligibility for homeless children, meaning that all children who are defined as homeless are eligible for free school meals.
The Reauthorization Act also confers automatic eligibility for free school meals on migrant children served through the Migrant Education Program and runaway children and youth served through the three grant programs established under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA): Basic Center Program, Transitional Living Program for Older Homeless Youth, and Street Outreach Program.
Local educational agency liaisons, homeless or domestic violence shelter directors and RHYA service providers may provide documentation that children are homeless or runaway to school food service directors or other officials who determine school meal eligibility. The documentation must include the child's name or a list of their names, effective date(s), and the signature of the local educational agency liaison, homeless or domestic violence shelter director or RHYA service provider. This list is acceptable in lieu of a school meal application usually submitted by the child's parent or guardian and is sufficient for school officials to approve the child's eligibility for free school meals.
School food service directors, principals and other school officials should work closely with local educational agency liaisons, homeless or domestic violence shelter directors and RHYA service providers to ensure that homeless and runaway children and youth are provided free meal benefits as promptly as possible.
Once a student has been certified as eligible for free meals, including when based on designation as homeless or runaway by a local educational agency liaison, homeless or domestic violence shelter director or RHYA service provider, the eligibility remains effective for the remainder of the school year. This policy holds even if children or youth move into permanent housing and are no longer homeless or served by RHYA programs. In such instances, a new eligibility determination shall be made in the subsequent school year. Schools are allowed to continue a student's eligibility from the previous school year for 30 operating days into the subsequent school year, or until a new eligibility determination is made, whichever occurs first.
A child or family may temporarily reside with another household and still be considered homeless under the definition of homeless in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act. In these cases, the household size and income of the host family is not taken into consideration in determining the free meal eligibility for the child(ren) designated as homeless 0by the local educational agency liaison. Additionally, when a host family applies for free and reduced-price meals for their own children, the host family may include the homeless family as household members if the host family provides financial support to the homeless family, such as shelter, utilities, clothing, or food. In such cases, the host family must also include any income received by the homeless family. School officials must determine eligibility for the host family in the traditional manner. However, free meal eligibility for the homeless child is based on the documentation provided by the local educational liaison, even when the child is included on the host family’s free and reduced-price meal application.
For more information: U.S. Department of Agriculture School Nutrition Programs Memo; Child Nutrition Brief (pdf 2.6mb)