Homeless Education And Resource Team (HEART): Spokane Public Schools' program for implementing the federal McKinney-Vento Education Assistance Act and the state Homeless Student Stability and Opportunity Grant Act.

If you are experiencing a loss of housing or are already a part of the HEART Program and need assistance, please fill out this form anytime during the year and a member of the HEART team will be in touch with you as soon as possible:

The HEART program helps children and youth who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. This includes children and youth who are:

• Sharing the housing of others due to loss of housing, economic hardship or a similar reason

• Living in motel, hotels, trailer parks or campgrounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations

• Living in emergency or transitional shelters

• Abandoned in hospitals

• Living in places that are not regular sleeping accommodations for people

• Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings

• Unaccompanied Youth, youth who are not in the physical custody of their legal parent/guardian, are able to access services on their own.

As homeless education facilitators, we:

• Locate and enroll students in the HEART program

• Protect a student’s "School of Origin" – the school that a student last attended when permanently housed

• Coordinate transportation to student's "school of origin"

• Communicate to each school regularly about HEART students currently enrolled in their building and contact teachers and/or school officials about developing issues

• Serve as a liaison between the school, parents, students and community agencies to meet the educational needs of students

• Accumulate statistics about the mobility of students experiencing homelessness

• Visit school buildings to support students, staff and parents with any issues/concerns

• Network with other community agencies and programs involved with homelessness to coordinate advocacy efforts and link community services

• Assist in obtaining educational documents and records

• Ensure that children and youth, including unaccompanied youth, enroll and have a full and equal opportunity to succeed in school

We aim:

• to support and meet the educational needs of students in short-term or temporary housing situations

• to maintain consistency of the educational process while living in transitional housing

• ensure the same opportunity to meet high academic standards as all students

• engage parents, school, and the community as full partners in the educational process of students who are in transitional situations

HEART Program
509-354-7302
Fax: 509-354-5914
Email

Liaison
Sarah Miller

Intake and Transportation Specialist
Christie McReynolds

Resources

• McKinney-Vento brochure

• What You Need to Know to Help Your Child in School