Paris Independent School District

Families and Students Experiencing Homelessness

Resources for Families and Students

Who do I contact?
- Kameshia Cooper, School Social Worker (PJH, PHS, & Travis)
- Mollie Jamar, School Social Worker (Givens & Aikin)
- Shelby Jamar, School Social Worker (Justiss & Crockett)
- School Social Workers (Lamar County Head Start)
McKinney-Vento Posters
United Way of Lamar County
- 903-784-6642
- Need Help? Find it Here!
211 Texas - Find resources for food, health, housing, and more
Texas Homeless Network - Find resources in Lamar County
- Find resources anywhere in Texas

Definition of homeless youth and children according to the McKinney-Vento Act (42 U.S.C. § 11434a(2)):

The term “homeless children and youth”—

(A) means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence …; and

(B) includes—

(i) children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals;

(ii) children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings …

(iii) children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and

(iv) migratory children who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii)

Information for Parents

Things You Should Know About Your Child's Educational Rights

Your child has a right to go to school, no matter where you live or how long you have lived there.

You are not required to give a permanent address in order to enroll your child in school. Schools cannot require proof of residency that might prevent or delay school enrollment.
Lack of school records cannot prevent a homeless student from enrolling in a new school. Ask the school officials for help in getting your child's records from the last school your child attended.
If you are homeless, your child has the right to stay in the school he/she last attended or move to the school in the district/attendance zone where you are currently living. The decision should be made by parents and school administrators together in the best interest of the child. Whatever option is chosen, your child has the right to transportation that is equal to that of other students.

Questions For Parents To Ask At School

Children can be encouraged by your interest in their day at school, their homework, and the papers they bring home. They also benefit when you take time to ask questions or visit their school. Here are some questions for you to ask at your child's school.