National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE)
Accessing Information on the National Center for Homeless Education’s Website
Navigating educational resources for families experiencing homelessness can be a daunting task. The National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE), which operates the technical assistance center for the federal Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program, has recently revamped their website to make all resources more accessible for those looking for information and support in homeless education. The NCHE site is linked here and offers an easy to use and accurate search feature for folks who may not be sure about a resource or for those who may not know where to start. The NCHE is housed at SERVE at UNC Greensboro.
NCHE provides a vast array of informational resources, aggregated national homeless education data, information on federal legislation related to the education and well-being of children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness, and various topics with links organized alphabetically. Click here to access online resources.
Key Resources
The Resources tab links to information about how to contact the helpline for assistance with issues related to the education of children or youth experiencing homelessness. Also, on this page, you can access a list of NCHE products that are available to download and print. There are easy links to trainings, webinars, and materials, both self-paced and live. In addition, there are resources for State Coordinators and Local Liaisons. The Resources page also offers easy access to homeless education issue briefs and program profiles from around the United States.
NCHE offers live webinars, training videos, and self-paced webinars on the website. Registration is required in advance for live webinars, which can be accessed on the NCHE website here. The most recent webinar released in 2024 titled “Supporting Students Living in Rural Areas and Indigenous Youth Experiencing Homelessness” can be accessed here. Additional webinars include “Implementing Social Media & Outreach Strategies in Your McKinney-Vento Program: Tips & Best Practices” and “Viewing Your Homeless Education Program Through an Equity Lens.”
Legislative Updates
On this page of the NCHE website, you will find information about key pieces of federal legislation, including the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, the American Rescue Plan Act, and detailed information linking to 14 categories of legislation related to the education and well-being of children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness. Click on each link to a particular Act, and you will find a link to the full text of the legislation, the context, regulations and guidance, and additional resources.
Data Information
The data page of the website provides aggregated national homeless education data, information on data collection, additional homeless data, and statistics, plus additional resources. Also offered is an interactive state-level data and contact information map, which provides contact information for each state LEA.
Topics with Links to Detailed Information
Our next segment provides an alphabetized list of topics that may be of interest to someone working on issues affecting people who are experiencing homelessness. The following is a comprehensive list that provides links to additional information and resources on 67 different topics. The list includes information and resources on such key areas as:
- Curricula: Educating Students and Others About Homelessness
- Enrolling Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness in School
- Highly Mobile Students: Addressing Educational Challenges
- Identifying Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness
- Translations of Homeless Education Materials
- Determining McKinney-Vento Program Eligibility
- Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
- Transporting Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness
- Early Care and Education for Young Children Experiencing Homelessness
American Rescue Plan – Homeless Children and Youth (ARP-HCY)
The ARP-HCY forms a strong foundation for funds that address the specific and urgent needs of children and youth experiencing homelessness. This website page shares information and links to publications, podcasts, and webinars, as well as a segment on COVID-19 information. Here, you can access the ‘Voices Amplified’ podcast series hosted by NCHE staff.
Contact Us and Calendar of Events
Here you can meet the NCHE team and get in touch! A calendar of events is easily accessible and offers details and registration information on topics related to students experiencing homelessness.
NCHE has a toll-free helpline: Call 800-308-2145 or email homeless@serve.org. To sign up for the NCHE Listserv click here.
We hope this gives you a helpful overview of the information and resources available through the National Center for Homeless Education. There is a search bar in the top right corner of the website which can be used to find topics of interest.
Note: Please review the disclaimer notice when accessing information.