"The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act, reauthorized in 2015 as Title IX, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act, provides for the delivery of services to remove barriers to the enrollment and retention of homeless children and youth in schools. Every school district or local education agency (LEA) is required to implement the McKinney-Vento Act, including appointing a local homeless liaison who is responsible for ensuring that homeless children and youth are identified, enrolled immediately in school and linked to services. School administrators, teachers and support personnel encounter children and youth experiencing homelessness every day and play a critical role in ensuring that these children and youth are identified and served. School personnel are often the ones who develop trusting relationships with students and families and can be the eyes and ears to identify vulnerable students and ensure that they are linked to services and support. This booklet will guide school personnel in ways to support homeless families, children and youth. Included are a summary of requirements of the McKinney-Vento Act, the role of the local liaison, general strategies for school personnel and strategies for specific role groups to help homeless students enroll in school, attend regularly and succeed academically. Also included are links to additional information and resources."--Overview.

Homeless kids of all ages exist in every community, but few realize this. Because of their invisibility, the needs of these kids, a population of over 3 million, go largely unmet. The Charlie Book not only offers a range of ways ordinary compassionate people can help in their own communities, but it also gives background information to help understand the scope of this hidden problem. Additionally, it directs readers to existing resources.Schools districts must have a trained homeless liaison to identify and assist students experiencing homelessness. The federal McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Act, reauthorized in December 2015 as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), specifies duties and responsibilities of these liaisons. One is to develop local resources to help the students succeed in school. "Charlie," for whom the book is named, was instrumental in passage of homeless children and youth's educational rights. Society's choice in dealing with widespread angst about income inequality, racial strife, domestic and international violence, and personal challenges could angrily tumble into an apathetic stupor or embrace compassion that spurs action. The Charlie Book: 60 Ways to Help Homeless Kids grew out of the desire to create a "compassion epidemic" that would spill out across the country to ease the suffering of millions of homeless children and youth. It was created and reviewed by people with years of experience working with homeless kids.This concise handbook will provide the know-how for adults and kids, civic organizations and faith communities, scout troops and neighborhood associations to make a viable difference in their local communities for the mostly invisible families and youth experiencing a variety of shapes of homelessness.Those involved in this book believe that good people doing good things will mitigate the apathy and anxiety that grabs headlines and shatters lives. The Charlie Book offers a simple, doable approach to providing tangible help to young people striving to get an education despite the formidable challenges they face. The antidote to apathy is action. The Charlie Book, offers simple activities that can simply change lives for the better.

This is one of the first books to focus on child homelessness in the context of school social work and related professional practice. Beginning with ways to think about homelessness, the book guides the reader through the important studies and findings as they relate to school social workers and other related professionals. It provides readers with a detailed and thoughtful description of important policies that shape practice with homeless students and offers guidance on assessing perceived policy implementation.