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CA AB 27

About the Act

AB 27 Homeless children and youths and unaccompanied youths: reporting.

This act amends California Education Code section (Ca. Educ. Code §) 48852.5 with regards to homeless education informational materials and training, and adds Ca. Educ. Code § 48851 and 48852.6 with regards to the identification of students experiencing homelessness, the use of a housing questionnaire, and county office of education (COE) and local educational agency (LEA) websites, as outlined below. (Note: AB 2375 further amends Ca. Educ. Code § 48851; see AB 2375 for more information)

Ca. Educ. Code § 48851 (Identification and Housing Questionnaire)

  • LEAs shall ensure that each school within the LEA identifies all homeless children and youth and unaccompanied youth enrolled at the school.
  • LEAs receiving American Rescue Plan-Homeless Children and Youth (ARP-HCY) funds shall administer a housing questionnaire to all parents or guardians of students and to all unaccompanied youth annually commencing no later than the beginning of the 2021–22 school year. (Note: AB 2375 builds on additions and amendments made to the Ca. Educ. Code by AB 27, requiring all CA LEAs to administer a housing questionnaire, whether or not the LEA receives ARP-HCY funds)
    • The housing questionnaire shall include an explanation of the rights and protections a homeless child or youth or unaccompanied youth has.
    • The housing questionnaire shall be available in paper form.
    • If the primary language of the student's parent or guardian or an unaccompanied youth is not English, either of the following shall occur:
      • The housing questionnaire shall be made available in the primary language of the unaccompanied youth or the student's parent or guardian.
      • An appropriate translation of the housing questionnaire shall be provided upon request by the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied homeless youth.
  • LEAs shall collect the completed housing questionnaires and annually report the number of homeless children and youths and unaccompanied youths enrolled to CDE.

Ca. Educ. Code § 48852.5 (Informational Materials and Training)

  • LEA liaisons shall ensure that public notice of the educational rights of homeless children and youths is disseminated in schools within the liaison’s LEA. 
  • The California Department of Education (CDE) shall provide informational materials to LEA liaisons about the educational rights of homeless children and youths and unaccompanied youths under state and federal law, updates and changes to state and federal law regarding the rights of homeless students, the responsibilities of LEA liaisons relating to homeless children and youths and unaccompanied youths, and the resources available to schools to assist homeless children and youths and unaccompanied youths.
  • CDE shall provide training materials to LEA homeless liaisons to assist liaisons with providing professional development and other support to school personnel providing services pursuant to the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
  • CDE shall develop and implement a system to verify that LEAs are providing the required training to school personnel providing services to students experiencing homelessness at least annually.
  • CDE shall adopt policies and practices to ensure LEA homeless liaisons participate in professional development and other technical assistance programs, as deemed appropriate under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
  • CDE shall develop and implement procedures for verifying key information submitted by LEAs to comply with the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
  • CDE shall review the information submitted by LEAs to comply with the federal McKinney-Vento ACT, and remind each LEA for which information about its policies is outdated to update their policies to reflect current requirements.
  • CDE shall develop both of the following:
    • Best practices that LEAs may use to identify and obtain accurate data on all homeless children and youths and unaccompanied youths enrolled in schools of the LEA.
    • A model housing questionnaire, based on the above best practices, that LEAs may use to identify and obtain accurate data on all homeless children and youths and unaccompanied youths enrolled in schools of the LEA.
  • CDE shall post the identification and data best practices and model housing questionnaire on its website.

Ca. Educ. Code § 48852.6 (COE and LEA websites)

  • School districts, charter schools, and COEs shall create a webpage or post to its existing website both of the following:
    •  A list of the liaisons in that district, charter school, or COE, and the contact information for those liaisons
    • Specific information on homelessness, including information regarding the educational rights and resources available to persons experiencing homelessness.

Legislation 

California Department of education (CDE) Resources

CDE: Model Housing Questionnaire and Related Resources