The Homeless Support and Family Resources were designed to provide assistance to homeless students and families in compliance with the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

Objective

• Provide ongoing training, technical assistance and advocacy school wide to ensure federal statutes are being followed in regards to homeless students at Bay View Academy.
• Remove barriers to academic success for McKinney Vento eligible students by providing needed supplies such as backpacks, school supplies, clothing, free meals, etc.
• Educate students and parents on their educational rights.
• Promote parent participation in school related activities. 
• Each student at the beginning of the school year or upon enrollment at BVA must complete a Student Housing Questionnaire. This form is used to determine what students and families benefit eligibility.

What is McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act?

McKinney–Vento is a federal law that offers rights and protection to families in difficult or transitional living situations.
Common living situations that fall under the law are:

• Double-up: in a house or apartment with more than one family due to loss of housing or financial hardship
• Renting a room in another person’s or family’s apartment or house due to financial difficulties
• Staying in hotels, motels, or weekly rate housing
• Living in cars, a RV , trailer, garage, shed, closet, campsite,  park, or other place not designed for regular sleeping
• Staying in shelters or housing programs 
• Moving from place to place (“couch surfing”) due to lack of stable housing 
• Living in substandard housing (without electricity, water, heat, OR problems with mold or infestation)

Available Resources

BVA provides a variety of resources on campus including:

• School supplies
• Backpacks
• Personal care items, hygiene kits
• School Meals
• Food resources for the family
• Bus Passes
• Free After School Care
• Free Laundry Services
• Student counseling 
• Personalized family support and referrals for varying community agencies.  

Please see the school liaison for more information regarding any and all available resources. 

Educational Rights and Resources

Local educational agencies (LEAs) must ensure that children and youth experiencing homelessness are able to participate fully in school activities, and that barriers to identification, enrollment, and retention in school are identified and removed. Children and youth experiencing homelessness have the right to:

1. Immediate Enrollment: No matter the documentation.
2. Transportation: LEAs should continue providing transportation support as needed to eliminate barriers to enrollment, participation and retention in school, including to pick up meals or distance learning items.
3. Academic Access and Success: This includes free meals, and all other academic support afforded to their housed peers and more.
4. Please make sure to contact your local LEA or county Liaison on the Homeless Education web page.

Community Resources

Multi Service Agencies:
United Way – You can call 2-1-1, Bill assistance, Rental assistance, Community resources
Catholic Charities Diocese of Monterey – Food, Tattoo removal, Imigration & Citizenship

Animal Care:
SPCA – Pet food, missing animals, Shots, end of life
Animal Friends Rescue Project – Pet food
Monterey County Animal Shelter – Missing animals

Child Abuse:
Child Abuse Hotline – 831-755-4661 (business hours) or 9-1-1 Ask for the on-call social worker (after business hours) 

Child Care:
County Child Care Resource and Referral Program – Child Care
Head Start – Child Care age 3-5
Early Head Start – Child Care Infant to age 3

Child Support:
Monterey County Child Support Services – Child Support

Clothing:
Good Samaritan Center – Clothing
Society of St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Shop -voucher for free clothing and furniture 

Food & Formula:
Emergency Food Assistance – Food
Food Bank of Monterey County –Distribution Schedule – Food
CalFresh (Food Stamps) – Food
Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program (WIC- Pregnant women and children up to 5 years old) – Food and formula
All-In Monterey  – Food, hygiene items, household goods, gently used/new clothing, and shoes

Financial Help:
CalWorks – Cash Aid 

Health care: 
Monterey County Clinic at Marina – Health Care
Seaside Family Health Center – Health Care
Montage Mobile Health Clinic – Health Care
Department of Health Care Services- 24/7 nurse -877-409-9052
Planned Parenthood- MarMonte – Women’s Health Care
America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses – Eye Care
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration – Substance Abuse

Health Insurance:
Covered California – Health Insurance
MC-Choice – Health Insurance
Medi-Cal – Health Insurance 
Central California Alliance for Health – Health Insurance

Housing & Shelter:
Community Homeless Solutions – Shelter
Community Human Services – Shelter, Mental Health, Substance Abuse
Housing Resource Center of Monterey County – Housing resources
Domestic Violence Shelter – Shelter

Legal Help:
American Bar Association – Legal Help

Suicide Prevention:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline  – 800-273-8255 (24/7) 
Suicide Prevention Services of the Central Coast – 877-663-5433 (24/7) 

Transportation:
Monterey Salinas Transit – Bus Transportation

Unemployment: 
Employment Development Department – Unemployment Benefits

Contact Information

Each public school district and charter school in Monterey County has a special Homeless or Transition Liaison on site. 

If you need to reach your Liaison, contact Parisa Gomez at parisa.gomez@bayview-academy.org or 831-717-4630          

If you need further assistance, contact Dr. Donna Smith, Program Coordinator for Homeless Services for Monterey County Office of Education at [email protected] or 831-755-0300 ext. 129.