McKinney-Vento 2001, Law Into Practice Issue Brief

Unaccompanied Youth

Unaccompanied youth include young people who have run away from home, been thrown out of their homes, and/or been abandoned by parents or guardians. These young people are separated from their parents for a variety of reasons.

Unaccompanied youth often face unique barriers to enrolling and succeeding in school. Without a parent or guardian to advocate for them and exercise parental rights, they are sometimes denied enrollment and remain out of school for extended periods of time.

Unaccompanied youth also may not understand their educational rights or know how to acquire this information.

New provisions in the McKinney-Vento Act require liaisons, now designated in every Local Educational Authority (LEA), to assist unaccompanied youth, so they have the opportunity to enroll in, attend, and succeed in school. Serving youth appropriately is an integral part of the Acts legal mandate.

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