Release of EHCY Program RFA 2012–13

Dear County and District Superintendents and Direct-Funded Charter School Administrators:

RELEASE OF THE EDUCATION FOR HOMELESS
CHILDREN AND YOUTH PROGRAMS
REQUEST FOR APPLICATION 2012–13

The California Department of Education (CDE) is pleased to announce the opportunity to request funds for fiscal year 2012–13, the first of a three-year grant cycle. The grant award period is from July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2015, contingent upon federal funds and successful requests for continuation funding by local educational agency (LEA) grantees. These funds are made available to LEAs to ensure that homeless children and youth have equal access to the same free, appropriate public education, including public preschool education, as provided to other children and youth.

Interested applicants may access the application and instructions on the CDE Available Funding Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/af/. If an LEA intends to submit an application for the Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Grant Program, a letter of intent is required to be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 1, 2011.

The EHCY program contains provisions that are designed to improve academic achievement for children and youth who are homeless. To acquire a copy of the complete legislation, please visit the CDE Homeless Children & Youth Education Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/hs/cy/.

Some provisions of the legislation include the following:

• Every LEA is required to have a homeless liaison for children and youth who are homeless. Some of the duties of the liaison are to ensure access to education and support services, identify children and youth in homeless situations, and disseminate notice of educational rights.
  
  
• Every LEA is required to keep children who are homeless in the same school they attended when permanently housed, or the school they last attended, if that is the choice of the parent or guardian. Under the law, these children and youth may remain in that school for the duration of their homelessness, or, if they become permanently housed during the academic year, for the remainder of the academic year.
  
  
• Every LEA is required to provide transportation to ensure that homeless children and youth can continue their education in the school they had been attending before becoming homeless, or the school they last attended, at the request of the parent or guardian.
  
  
• Every LEA is required to immediately enroll children and youth who are homeless, even if they do not have the documentation normally required for enrollment.

The CDE will host three Request for Application presentations after the release of the actual application. The schedule is as follows:

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact Leanne Wheeler, Education Programs Consultant, Title I Policy and Program Guidance Office, by phone at 916-319-0383 or by e-mail at lwheeler@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Tom Torlakson

TT:lw

cc: Title I Directors
Homeless Liaisons