Educational opportunity: parent and youth perceptions of major provisions of the McKinney-Vento Act

Abstract

The increasing numbers of homeless families in the United States present many social justice concerns, including issues of educational access, stigma, and self-advocacy. These problems become even more apparent when homelessness and education intersect. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 was the first legislation passed by Congress in an attempt to address these issues. While schools and homeless families have benefited from the original and subsequent legislation, clear limitations remain. This paper explores the perspectives of homeless families and youth directly impacted by the current law. Using qualitative analyses, focus groups were conducted at four homeless shelters. Focus groups transcripts were coded to capture the key themes across age/grade ranges served by the McKinney-Vento Act. In particular, the effects of the McKinney-Vento Act on transportation, safety, and discipline for homeless students are discussed. Finally, the paper explores implications for school-based service providers.

Keywords:

• homelessness
• the McKinney-Vento Act
• homeless families
• homeless students
• schools
• social justice