The Maine DOE has issued a request for proposals (RFP) seeking bids to develop and implement programs providing educational and related services beyond those provided in the general education program to facilitate the enrollment, attendance and school success of homeless children and youth under the McKinney-Vento Act.
The goals of the McKinney-Vento Act include:
- Providing immediate enrollment of homeless children who are not already enrolled. This includes reviewing and revising any laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as barriers to the enrollment, attendance, or success of homeless children and youth;
- Providing school stability for students experiencing homelessness by allowing them to remain in their school of origin when this is in the students’ best interest and providing transportation to and from the students’ school of origin at the request of parents/guardians or unaccompanied youths;
- Ensuring that homeless students are provided services in such a way that they are not isolated or stigmatized;
- Promoting school success and completion for homeless students; and
- Supporting collaboration between school districts and community agencies serving homeless students.
The intent of the McKinney-Vento Act is to ensure that all children and youth impacted by the loss of fixed, regular and adequate housing receive a quality education. All state and local educational agencies in Maine (regardless of whether they are recipients of sub-grant funds) are required to develop, review, and revise policies to remove barriers to the enrollment, attendance, and academic success of children and youth experiencing homelessness while providing such children and youth with the opportunity to meet the same challenging state content and student performance standards to which all students are held.
The request for proposal is available here. Questions pertaining to the RFP may be submitted in writing to the McKinney-Vento State Coordinator, Jacinda Goodwin at jacinda.goodwin@maine.gov by 5:00 p.m. on July 7, 2014.
For more information on the McKinney-Vento program, please contact the Department’s McKinney-Vento State Coordinator Jacinda Goodwin at jacinda.goodwin@maine.gov or 207-624-6637.