Homeless Education Assistance
Basic Needs and Homeless Support
If your family is in need of housing assistance or any other community resources (food assistance, clothing, furniture), APS can provide information to support our families. APS also provides support under McKinney-Vento.
What is McKinney-Vento?
Under a federal law (referred to as the McKinney-Vento Act), homeless children and youths are individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This includes:
Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason
Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds
Living in emergency or transitional shelters
Being abandoned in hospitals
Living in public or private places not designed for or ordinarily used as regular sleeping accommodations for human beings
Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, transportation stations, or similar settings
Migratory children living in conditions described in the previous examples
Depending on circumstance, students in the custody of the MA Department of Children and Families may also be defined as homeless.
What if I am a student or the parent/guardian/caregiver of a student who meets this definition of homeless?
If you are a student or are the parent/guardian/caregiver of a student who meets this definition of homeless, please contact Gina Hart, the district-wide McKinney-Vento Liaison for APS, or speak with any trusted staff member of the APS Team. APS staff will help to connect you with the resources that you need in light of your unique circumstances.
Gina Hart
Social Work and Students Supports Program Coordinator
District-Wide McKinney-Vento Liaison
gina.hart@andoverma.us
978-247-7056
Resources
Local Food Pantries
Neighbors in Need: https://needfood.org/get-help/
Village Food Hub: https://villagefoodhub.org/
For a more detailed schedule and breakdown see the Town of Andover’s website
Housing Support
MA Emergency Housing Assistance: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/housing-assistance-for-massachusetts-residents
Furniture Resources
Project Home Again: https://www.phama.org/
A Bed for Every Child: https://www.abedforeverychild.org/
Clothing Resources
Common Threads: https://www.uncommonthreads.org/
Andover Thrift Shop: https://andoverthriftshop.com/contact-us/
Lazarus House: https://lazarushouse.org/
Community Giving Tree: https://www.communitygivingtree.org/