The goal of Philadelphia’s Homeless Children’s Initiative is to ensure that homeless children and youth in the Philadelphia region have access to a free, appropriate, public education while removing barriers that homeless children face. Homeless Children's Initiative works in collaboration with schools and shelter/transitional housing providers to continue the educational process as uninterrupted as possible while the children are in homeless/displaced situations.
Some of the other objectives of the Philadelphia Homeless Children's Initiative are:
- To inform schools of their responsibilities to homeless children and youth;
- To increase awareness about the needs of homeless children;
- Explain current legislation and policies; and
- Provide practical tips for working with homeless children.
Philadelphia’s Homeless Children’s Initiative is meeting its aim to minimize the impact of homelessness on education. Homeless Children's Initiative provides uniform/clothing assistance, resources for school supplies and other school expenses. By keeping children in their school of origin when possible and coordinating educational services, Pennsylvania's Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program is helping students in Philadelphia experiencing homelessness access all of the benefits of their educational system.
For additional information on Region 1, contact:
School District of Philadelphia
Alfred B. Quarles Jr., Regional Site Coordinator
Office of Specialized Services
Homeless Children's Initiative
215-400-6045 | abquarles@philasd.org
Region 2 consists of the six counties which encompass 76 school districts. Of these six counties, we are fortunate to have site coordinators in Berks, Chester, Dauphin and Lancaster counties. Lebanon and Schuylkill counties are served by the regional coordinator.
The goal of Pennsylvania's Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program in Region 2 is to help homeless children and youth access Pennsylvania's public schools by removing barriers to a free and appropriate public education, via the McKinney-Vento Law. The goal is to have a homeless student's education continue as uninterrupted as possible while he or she is homeless.
Site coordinators are knowledgeable of the rights of homeless students, and should be used as a resource by local agencies, school districts and homeless families. These coordinators can help with:
- Interpretation of, and compliance with, the McKinney-Vento Law
- Assisting with school enrollment and placement
- Arranging transportation to and from school
- Providing agency referrals for clothing, food, shelter, rent and school supplies
- Distributing literature regarding homeless children
- Providing training on the McKinney-Vento Act
- Increasing public awareness of homelessness
- Identifying your school district's liaison for homeless students
For additional information on services available in Berks counties, please contact:
Berks County Intermediate Unit #14
Kristen Hoffa, Regional Site Coordinator
610-987-8509 | (800) 510-2741 | krihof@berksiu.org
Jennifer Barney, Site Coordinator
610-987-8469 | jenbar@berksiu.org
Melissa DeMotta, Program Specialist
484-955-99920 | meldem@berksiu.org
Tabitha Kramer, Program Specialist
610-603-6162 | tabkra@berksiu.org
Region 3 includes the counties of Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, Mifflin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Perry and York. There are 35 school districts served by Region 3. Pennsylvania's Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homeless Program in Region 3 depends on these counties to report homeless students so that needed services can be provided to the students.
Services available to homeless students in Region 3 include after-school tutoring programs, information, trainings, school supplies, and uniforms. The services vary by county, however the objective is the same for each county in Region 3. These initiatives include; to inform local school districts of their responsibilities to homeless children and youth; to increase awareness about the needs of homeless children and youth; to increase awareness of the needs of the children; to evaluate and address any educational barriers; to explain current legislation and policies already in place; to provide practical tips for working with homeless children; and offer opportunities for homeless children and youth to develop their educational and recreational interests.
For additional information on the services provided in Region 3, please contact:
Lincoln Intermediate Unit #12
Sonia Pitzi, Regional Coordinator
717-718-5924 | slpitzi@iu12.org
Missy Gosnell, Program Liaison
717-718-5944 | magosnell@iu12.org
Region 4 is very diverse in nature. It encompasses urban, suburban, and rural counties with a population of more than 2.3 million. Nine counties are served by Region 4 which encompass 133 school districts and 686 schools. The poverty rate in this region ranges from 9 percent to 18 percent. 96,920 families receive food stamps and 52,945 families have single female heads of households. The geographical area covers 6,940 square miles.
The established Allegheny County Homeless Children’s Initiative has taken a leadership role for Region 4, with the cooperation and collaboration of Westmoreland Intermediate Unit and Intermediate Unit #1. The goal of Pennsylvania' Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program in Region 4 is; to provide educational and enrichment programs that encourage school attendance, reduce disruptions, and to facilitate services that are linked to the challenging state performance standards will now be extended to include all of the homeless children and youth in Region 4.
Some of the Region 4’s activities include the following:
- Provide enrichment programs for homeless children and youth, during non-school time.
- Train and supervise college students in service learning projects to serve in shelter sites as tutors/homework helpers.
- Establish an emergency school fund for school-related items to address the stigma of homeless, (being different from regular students) (ex. school supplies, uniforms, pictures, and fees).
- Encourage school attendance on a regular basis through perfect attendance awards and monthly attendance shelter reports.
- Provide summer educational enrichment programs through mini-grants to fund family shelters’ summer projects for homeless families.
- Provide parent workshops on enrollment, attendance, dress code, rights of homeless students, etc.
- Assist local districts to create and/or revise policies and procedures to eliminate barriers for homeless children and youth.
- Raise the capacity of local school districts (registrar, school attendance officer, school liaison) to identify homeless students (both sheltered and unsheltered).
- Raise the capacity of shelter staff to recognize the importance of immediate school enrollment.
- Educate the school transportation departments on the rights of homeless students.
- Maintain an emergency fund to assist for the provision of transportation on a short-term basis until transportation can be worked out with the local districts to avoid delay in school attendance.
For additional information on the services provided in Region 4, please contact:
Allegheny Intermediate Unit #3
Nicole Anderson, Regional Coordinator
412-394-5894 | nicole.anderson@aiu3.net
Tracey Finn, Community Liaison
412-394-1351 | tracey.finn@aiu3.net
Region 5 encompasses a 10 county region, including 69 school districts and 20 shelters. The Regional Coordinator for the Pennsylvania's Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program is based out of the Midwestern Intermediate Unit 4 in Grove City, Mercer County. The Region’s Site Coordinator is employed by the Erie School District, based in Erie County. In addition, there are five social work liaisons assigned to assist with the coverage of the territory encompassed by Region 5, based out of the Midwestern Intermediate Unit 4 and the Riverview Intermediate Unit 6.
The primary goal of Region 5's program is to assist homeless children and youth with access to a free, appropriate public education. At times, this takes the form of advocacy, technical assistance, and assistance with the removal of barriers facing homeless students and their families, via the McKinney-Vento Law. The mission of the Homeless Children’s Initiative is to provide as much stability as possible for students who are experiencing the painful issue of homelessness in their lives. School is often the one consistent place for these children, and education is an important step in breaking the cycle of poverty.
The staff assigned to this program understands the federal McKinney-Vento Law, and can assist with interpreting the rights of homeless children. These coordinators can be used as a resource by school district liaisons, community partners, shelter staff, and homeless children and families. The program can assist with:
- Enhanced understanding of, and compliance with, the McKinney-Vento Law
- School enrollment and placement, pre-K - grade 12
- Answering questions related to transportation, child accounting guidelines and Title I set asides
- Provision of referrals for clothing, food, shelter and related services
- Provision of training to schools and community agencies
- Distribution of literature related to homeless children
- Increasing public awareness of homelessness in local communities
- Provision of contact information for the identified district liaison within each school district
- Provision of practical ideas related to identifying and working with homeless children and youth
For additional information on the services provided by Region 5, please contact:
Midwestern Intermediate Unit #4
Wendy Kinnear, Regional Coordinator
724-458-6700 x1289 | wendy.kinnear@miu4.org
Butler, Lawrence, Mercer Counties
Bryda Drumm, Intermediate Unit Liaison
724-458-6700, ext. 1218 | bryda.drumm@miu4.org
Northwest Tri-County IU
Crawford, Erie, Warren Counties
Brad Whitman, Site Coordinator
814-734-8449 | brad_whitman@iu5.org
Riverview IU
Clarion, Forest, Venango Counties
Mary Miller, Intermediate Unit Liaison
814-226-7103 x152 | mmiller@riu6.org
Region 6 consists of 11 counties (Armstrong, Blair, Cambria , Cameron, Centre, Clearfield , Clinton, Elk, Indiana, Jefferson and Potter), which includes 55 school districts and 20 shelters. The Regional Coordinator for the Pennsylvania's Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program is based out of the Armstrong-Indiana Intermediate Unit 28 (ARIN) in Indiana County. The Site Coordinator is based out of Central Intermediate Unit 10 Family Center in Centre County, State College.
Region 6's goal is to target the needs of homeless children, youth and their families. The goal is to provide educational assistance and support to children living in transitional situations such as homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters and other temporary housing situations and to provide as much stability as possible for children and youth who are experiencing homelessness. This is done via the McKinney-Vento Law which states that homeless children and youth receive equal access to a free, appropriate public education as would be provided to other residents and be consistent with state attendance laws.
The coordinators work in collaboration with the school districts and shelter/transitional housing providers to ensure continuity, while the children are in homeless situations. This is done in several ways and not limited to:
- Training school district liaisons and shelter providers
- Technical assistance
- Personal visits to sites
- Distribution of literature
- School enrollment and placement issues
- Referrals for clothing, food, shelter, transportation and other related services
For additional information on the services provided in Region 6, please contact:
ARIN IU
Andrea Sheesley, Regional Coordinator
724-463-5300 ext. 1235 | asheesley@iu28.org
The Luzerne Intermediate Unit #18 Homeless Children's Initiative Program is now known as Region 7 and services 17 counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The program goal is to ensure the consistency of education for homeless children, so that they may have the equal access to education that is provided to other children.
Region 7's initiatives have improved community awareness and homeless parent awareness of the rights and availability of services to the homeless. The program has addressed and will continue to address the barriers that affect homeless children and their parents and have made a concentrated effort to eliminate these barriers.
For additional information on services available in Region 7, please contact:
Luzerne IU
Jeff Zimmerman, Regional Coordinator
570-718-4613 | jzimmerman@liu18.org
Andrew Kuhl, Assistant Coordinator
570-718-4697 | akuhl@liu18.org
The Bucks County Schools Intermediate Unit (BCIU) is the managing agent for Region 8 for the Pennsylvania's Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program. Region 8 includes the counties of Bucks, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery and Northampton. To cover this region, a collaborative effort has been formed which includes the BCIU, the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit (MCIU) and the Allentown School District (ASD). With 66 school districts, several hundred schools, more than 30 shelters and dozens of agencies, the need for continual training and communication is vital. Every school year also finds staff changes in school districts.
This regional site is built around the federal McKinney-Vento Home less Act and emphasis is placed on ensuring that homeless children and youth are immediately enrolled in school. In addition, priority is given to the barriers outlined in the State Plan in terms of removing or reducing them.
The Site Coordinators serve a variety of purposes intended to manage the project in the most effective and efficient manner. Problem solving, public relations, increasing awareness of how to help homeless children, encouraging homeless parents, outreach visits and mailings, tracking of students and making referrals are some of the key activities.
Placing a “Right to Education” poster in every school, and being available to explain the federal law and BEC 42 U.S.C.§11301 has lead to many students being admitted to school more swiftly. Developing the local network of school district Home less Liaisons has also resulted in smoother and less stressful admissions. We invite any Home less Liaison within Region #8 to contact us at any time.
Placing posters and other literature at key agencies and food pantries has contributed to families knowing about school choice and that residency does not have to be proven. Many have enrolled their children that otherwise would most likely not have put their children in school for fear of child protection services or for thinking they are in trouble because of their homelessness.
When working in a densely populated region with multiple school districts, efforts are taken to keep children in their schools of origin whenever possible. The results are fewer absences, fewer school changes and better academic achievement. We encourage school districts to work together on transportation, and to use existing routes whenever possible.
Speaking to homeless parents allows us to provide referrals, develop strategies, encourage them as to how to best help their children in school, and respond to requests for school supplies and school activity fees.
For additional information on services available in Region 8, please contact:
Bucks County IU
Michelle Connor, Regional Coordinator
215-348-2940, Ext. 1361 | mconnor@bucksiu.org
Kathy Birsa, Site Coordinator
215-348-2940, Ext. 1360 | Kbirsa@bucksiu.org