Unaccompanied Youth/ No Contact with Custodial Parent
Unaccompanied Youth/ No Contact with Custodial Parent
Hey Team,
I am looking into advice for how to handle a situation. I have two siblings in my district (13y and 16y) who previosuly lived with Bio Dad and his longterm girlfriend. Long story short, girlfriend kicked bio dad out of the house and he dropped his two children to stay at a family friend’s house. Family friend is supporting the students well but was not given any power legally by bio-dad before he left (current location unknown). Nobody has been able to contact dad since as he does not have an email address or cell phone listed on file and has no job to call. Family friend has been bringing the students to school but ran into issues when they wanted to take one of the students out early due to illness. Family friend is not on approved pick-up list for the girls.
My question is since the only custodial guardian for these girls is MIA are we able to use a caregiver authorization form to allow the family friend to be the students current contact and allow for school pick-up if needed?
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I have a 17 year old boy that was living with adopted dad after mom moved out with little sister(ugly divorce). Dad is currently in jail and the boy does not have contact with mom. What is the best way for me to help him get food assistance and help with utilities? Can I help him apply for help through DHHS?
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Hi, Melissa (@mkrull@wpcschools.org),
First, thank you for looking out for this student. Have you connected with your Regional Grant Coordinator (RGC) in Michigan? That is a great place to start for support and to obtain local resources. A few questions that may help guide next steps: do you know how long his dad will be incarcerated, and when the student will turn 18? Is he at risk of losing his housing due to his father being incarcerated? This information can help determine the types and length of support he may need and plan for options as he transitions to adulthood. A helpful tool is the Flowchart showing Unaccompanied Homeless Youth vs. Unaccompanied Youth from NCHE (https://nche.ed.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Handout-UHY-Flowchart.pdf), which helps clarify the difference between UHY and UY and guides eligibility determinations.
For utilities, you can connect him with local community action agencies, churches, or nonprofits that offer emergency assistance. I encourage you to check with your RGC, as they may have a localized list of supports.
Since the student is 17 and living on his own, you can assist him with applying for SNAP (food assistance) through Michigan DHHS. In Michigan, unaccompanied minors can apply as their own household if they are buying and preparing food separately. He will need to apply through MI Bridges, and you can support him by helping with the application. In the meantime, make sure he is accessing school meals and food pantries for immediate needs. Your RGC may have additional local resources to help support him.
Best wishes,
Kelly
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@axlinej This is from the law….
Must schools enroll youth in school without proof of guardianship?
A: Yes. Lack of a legal guardian or guardianship documents cannot delay or prevent the enrollment of an unaccompanied youth [42 U.S.C. §§11432(g)(3)(C), (g)(1)(H)(iv)]. States and LEAs have established various procedures for enrolling youth. Many permit the youth to enroll himself or herself; some have the McKinney-Vento liaison handle enrollment; others use caregiver forms to allow adult caregivers, when present, to enroll youth. Whatever procedures are used, they must ensure immediate enrollment, as the McKinney-Vento Act requires states and LEAs to eliminate barriers to identification, enrollment and retention and to enroll unaccompanied youth in school immediately [42 U.S.C. §§11432(g)(1)(I), (g)(7)]. LEAs may adopt their own policies to meet these mandates.25 -
Hello Candice (@Pot8540),
Based on the info, it sounds like these two students qualify as McKinney-Vento eligible and are considered unaccompanied homeless youth (UHY). The McKinney-Vento liaison plays a key role in identifying UHY and ensuring they have access to school and services. For temporary school pick-up arrangements, it’s important to involve district administration or school leadership and follow district policies regarding implementation of adding authorized emergency contacts to the students records, while also including student voice. The liaison can help document the students’ living situation, communicate needs, and provide resources and supports to the students. While the district may have already checked the students’ emergency contact list, it’s still important to verify whether anyone listed could serve as a temporary pick-up option while more formal arrangements are made.
Looking forward to hearing more guidance on this @KarenMV!
Thank you,
Kelly & @RachelMV
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