Ben Hill County School System implemented The Homeless Education Program to ensure access to free, appropriate public education for children and youth experiencing homelessness. The Homeless Education Program operates in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Education Act. BHCS assigns a Homeless Liaison to oversee the Homeless Education Program. The Homeless Liaison assists the local schools to assure identified homeless children and youth receives the following services.

· Timely Enrollment

· Transportation

· Education-Related Support Services

· Community Resource Information

The primary goal of the Homeless Liaison is to eliminate barriers to school enrollment and promote academic success for all students. In addition to providing support to local schools, the Homeless Liaison serves as the link between families and community resources. The Homeless Liaison is responsible for providing on-going training to families, schools and community resources in an effort to promote awareness of education and most of all, sustainability for the needs of families/students experiencing homelessness.

If you and your child:

· Live in a shelter or motel;

· Share housing with relatives or others because you lost your housing or cannot afford housing;

· Live in a campground, car, abandoned building, or other inadequate shelter;

· Do not have a permanent address and /or permanent housing: or

· Live on the street;

Your child has the right to:

· Immediately enroll in and attend school without having health and school records available;

· Enroll in the school serving the address where you are living temporarily, or in the school attended when permanently housed, whichever is feasible and in your child’s best interest;

· Receive transportation to and from school when feasible;

· Participate in school/related activities and receive service, including free school meals; and

· Utilize the dispute resolution process if you have a grievance.

For more information, please contact Kim Minshew, Homeless Liaison, at 229-409-5805 or Kimberly.minshew@benhillschools.org.