ENROLLING
HOMELESS CHILDREN
Information for
School Secretaries and Registrars
Signs that
may indicate a family attempting to enroll is homeless:
- Parent exhibits anger or embarrassment when
asked about current address
- Parent may hide lack of a permanent address
with comments such as "it’s a new address, I can’t remember it, I will
bring it tomorrow"
- Parent appears confused when asked what
school child has last attended
- Parent has no medical or school records in
hand
- Parent may create reasons for poor
appearance and/or hygiene ("we have been unpacking, traveling, etc.")
How
you can help homeless children and their families
in the enrollment process:
If you think a family may be homeless, assure them that their child can enroll even if
the family doesn’t have "a regular place to live" right now
If possible, take the family to a private location in the building for enrollment
Offer help in completing forms. Hesitation may indicate an inability to read.
Enroll the child immediately (without medical records). Ask for the name and city of the
last schools attended, call that school and ask to have the records sent
Without the child’s academic records, proper placement may be difficult. Solicit
the help of a teacher to assess the child’s academic status to avoid misplacement
Give the child paper and pencils to take into the classroom; arrange for lunch
Be sensitive, patient, calm and reassuring. You can make a difference.
For questions or comments regarding
this site please mail:
mworthin@roe26.k12.il.us
