Resources

Homeless Youth Resources

If your housing situation has changed, you still have the right to go to school. Learn about your rights, find your homeless liaison, and connect with free resources near you.

You Can Enroll in School!

You are guaranteed enrollment in school by the federal McKinney-Vento Act and California state law if you live:

  • In a house or apartment with more than one family due to loss of housing or economic hardship
  • With friends or family because you are a runaway or an unaccompanied youth
  • In substandard housing (without electricity, water, or heat)
  • In a shelter (family, domestic violence, or youth shelter, or a transitional living program)
  • In a motel, hotel, or weekly-rate housing
  • In an abandoned building, in a car, at a campground, or on the streets

You can enroll in school immediately, even without the documents normally required for enrollment, such as:

  • Proof of residency
  • Immunization records or other required health records
  • School records
  • Legal guardianship papers

View the full CDE notice: English (PDF) | Spanish (PDF)

Your Educational Rights

Students experiencing homelessness have the right to:

  • Enroll right away and attend classes, even while records are being gathered.
  • Stay in their school of origin (the school they attended when permanently housed or where they last enrolled) when it is in their best interest, or enroll in the local school where they are now staying.
  • Get transportation to and from the school of origin when requested.
  • Enroll without a parent or guardian if they are an unaccompanied youth.
  • Receive free school meals without filling out an application.
  • Take part fully in all school programs, services, and activities, without being separated or treated differently because of their housing.
  • Receive partial credit for coursework completed at a previous school.
  • Be exempt from local graduation requirements beyond California’s state requirements if they transfer after their second year of high school and cannot reasonably complete local requirements (California Education Code 51225.1).
  • Get help with college and financial aid, including independent-student status on the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application and priority registration at California public colleges.
  • Dispute a decision about eligibility, school selection, or enrollment, and stay enrolled while the dispute is resolved.
  • Keep their housing information private. Information about a student’s living situation is treated as a confidential student record.

Learn more from the California Department of Education Homeless Education Program.

Contact Your Homeless Liaison

Every OFY and OFL charter has a homeless liaison who helps students and families enroll, get services, and solve problems along the way. For questions about enrolling in school or for help with enrollment, contact the liaison for your charter.

OFL Baldwin Park

Kimberly Pinckard
[email protected]
(626) 221-7278

OFL Capistrano

Madeline Campoli
[email protected]
(949) 339-9338

OFL Duarte

Maylin Price
[email protected]
(626) 277-1606

OFL Ridgecrest

Ashlie Standlee
[email protected]
(661) 235-5280

OFL William S. Hart

Gretchen Lindgreen
[email protected]
(661) 383-3744

OFY Acton

Brianna Benson
[email protected]
(909) 573-3199

OFY Duarte

Daisy Serrano
[email protected]
(626) 658-5923

OFY San Bernardino

Samantha Schmidt
[email protected]
(909) 936-5731

OFY San Gabriel

Guadalupe Vargas
[email protected]
(626) 720-7694

OFY San Juan

Steven Chavez
[email protected]
(916) 347-6217

OFY Victor Valley

Rachel Challacomb
[email protected]
(760) 792-4817

Online Program (all OFY & OFL charters)

Allison Alvizuri
[email protected]
(818) 736-7883

California Department of Education, Homeless Education Program
1430 N Street, Suite 6408, Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 1-866-856-8214
Email: [email protected]

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