Resources for Parents and Families
Resources and information for parents and families of migratory children are included below.
School Enrollment for Migratory Children
The following information is provided to help LEAs understand their obligation to enroll children in school immediately and to work with families to get the information the district needs for residency.
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Migratory children are one of the most likely populations of students to experience homelessness.
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act [42 U.S.C. § 11432(g)(3)(C)(i)] requires that schools enroll children and youth experiencing homelessness immediately, even if they are unable to produce records normally required for enrollment or have missed application or enrollment deadlines during any period of homelessness.
The Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA) of 1974, states children cannot be denied access to free, public education.
Even where a district has valid proof of residency requirements, it must exempt from those requirements all children and youth who are considered homeless under the Federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. These children and youth have a right to enroll in school, even if their families cannot produce the documents that would otherwise be required to prove residency.The McKinney-Vento Act defines the term “homeless children and youth” as including, in part, “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 adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement,” as well as children of migratory agricultural workers.
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The US Department of Education Fact Sheet: Information on the Rights of All Children to Enroll in School
School officials may request proof that you live within the boundaries of the school district.
LEAs can require proof of residency, but there should be a variety of documents that the LEA should accept.
School districts typically accept a variety of documents for this purpose such as copies of phone and water bills, lease agreements, affidavits, or other documents.
School registration forms or procedures may not directly require proof of SSN, State Driver’s License, or birth certificate.
LEAs may not prevent or discourage a child from enrolling in or attending school because he or she lacks a birth certificate.
LEAs may not prevent [a] child from enrolling in or attending school if [the parent(s)] choose not to provide [their] child’s social security number.
Districts must accept alternative documents as proof that a child lives within the district or school boundaries.
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A school district may not ask about a parent or child’s citizenship or immigration status to establish residency within the district.
A school district may not deny a homeless child (including a homeless child who is undocumented) enrollment because he or she cannot provide the required documents to establish residency.
While a school district may choose to include a parent’s state-issued identification or driver’s license among the documents that can be used to establish residency, a school district may not require such documentation to establish residency or for other purposes where such a requirement would unlawfully bar a student whose parents are undocumented from enrolling in school.
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The Oregon Migrant Education Service Center produced this video to share helpful information for HS students who arrive with credits from other countries. Watch on YouTube
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Other Resources
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Download our brochure to find out more about the Louisiana Migrant Education Program
• Download brochure in English
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At the beginning of each school year the MEP sends each school district a list of currently eligible migratory students. These students are categorically eligible for free lunch and breakfast without completing the application.
Students who receive migrant services through Continuation of Services are not categorically eligible for free lunch and breakfast. These students may qualify by completing the application from the school district.
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Identification and Recruitment (ID&R) means locating and contacting a family/youth in order to ascertain a child or youth’s eligibility for the migrant education program (MEP). As indicated in the Non-Regulatory Guidance, ID&R activities are critical because:
The children who are most in need of program services are often those who are the most difficult to find.
Many migrant children would not fully benefit from school, and in some cases would not attend school at all, if SEAs did not identify and recruit them into the MEP. This is particularly true of the most mobile migrant children who may be more difficult to identify than those who have settled in a community.
Children cannot receive MEP services without a record of eligibility.
The Louisiana Migrant Education Program has a network of recruiters who recruit migrant children and out-of-school youth across the state for the program. Recruiters travel to different locations, including homes, farms, packing houses, schools, and other locations throughout the state to identify and recruit students. Recruiters can help refer migratory out-of-school youth and families to appropriate health, social or legal services
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Migrant Education, Non-Regulatory Guidance for the Title I, Part C Education of Migratory Children, Washington, D.C., 2010. (Chapter III: Identification & Recruitment) can be found at https://results.ed.gov/legislation
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The purpose of MSIX is to ensure greater continuity of educational services for migratory children by providing a mechanism for all states to exchange educational and health related information on migratory children who move from state to state due to their migratory lifestyle. For information on how you can use and access MSIX, contact your local Migrant Coordinator or Traci Tucker, State Data Manager.
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