ABSTRACT
Across the United States, homeless children’s opportunities to experience school suc-cess are severely compromised by their high rates of residential and school mobility, poor school attendance, shelter policies that jeopardize their physical and psychological well-being, and barriers to accessing both schooling and appropriate educational services once they are in school. Federal legislation, specifically the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act and its subsequent amendments, mandates that state educational authorities (SEAs) review and revise all policies, practices, laws, and regulations that may act as a barrier to enrollment, attendance, and school success of homeless students. This chapter provides an overview of federal mandates and describes persistent obstacles that continue to jeopardize the school success of homeless children and youth in the United States.
