Schoolhouse Link - A Homeless Education Literacy Program
Every Child Has the Right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education. The Schoolhouse Link Program is a partnership between the Sarasota Family YMCA and the Sarasota County School Board. The program serves as the District’s Official McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison and provides services to help families and youth that are homeless and in transition. The program’s goal is to ensure that students in transition are able to enroll, attend and succeed in school. Schoolhouse Link supports each student by helping create educational stability and by removing any barriers limiting their success.
Meanwhile, support for the whole family is provided by linking them with essential service providers and community resources. Schoolhouse Link also helps to build strong literacy skills by providing children and adults with education tutorial sessions, supplemental literacy material, and referrals.
According to the federal McKinney-Vento Act reauthorized in 2001, a family is considered in transition (or homeless) if they lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. Click here for additional details.
This includes anyone who lives:
- Temporarily "Doubled-Up" with relatives or friends due to loss of housing or economic hardship
- In an emergency or transitional shelter
- Temporarily in motels, hotels or trailer parks, or campgrounds due to limited finances
- Awaiting permanent placement in foster care
- In cars, parks, public places, bus or train stations, or abandoned buildings
Also:
- Migratory children living in these conditions
- Unaccompanied youth not in the physical custody of a parent/guardian in any of the above situations
Children and youth in transition who fit the McKinney-Vento definition have the certain rights. Click here for a full list of those rights.
- Enroll and attend in school no matter where they live or how long they have lived there.
- Have access to the same public education as housed children.
- Enroll and attend classes while the school arranges for transfer of records required for enrollment.
- Continue in the school they attended before becoming homeless or the last school attended, if possible and in their best interest.
- Request assistance with transportation to school.
- Receive the same special programs and services as provided to all other children in housing.
- Have any enrollment disputes heard and resolved while the student continues to attend classes.
Click here for a full list of services we provide. All services are free!
- Free school supplies and backpacks
- Free breakfast and lunch for remainder of school year
- Free school uniforms and emergency clothing
- Transportation assistance
- Tutoring at select sites
- Before and After-school care referrals
- Head Start and VPK information and referrals
- Case management
- Scholarship information and assistance
- Connection to YMCA services and programs
- Referrals to community health, shelter and social service providers.
Donations can begin with a phone call to Karin Gustafson, President of the Foundation at (941) 951-1336, or online by following the link below.
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Sarasota Family YMCA - Sarasota, Florida
The Sarasota Family YMCA is dedicated to equal opportunity for all client without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, creed, age, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, status as a disabled veteran, military service connection, HIV, AIDS, or sickle cell anemia status, or on the basis of any other condition or characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.
