Official Site of The State of New Jersey

The Stewart B. McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth (McKinney-Vento EHCY) program provides students experiencing homelessness with protections and services to ensure they enroll in and attend school; complete their high school education and be positioned for success after graduation, so they may avoid poverty and homelessness as adults. Of the over 1.2 million children and youth experiencing homelessness in the United States, more than 11,000 were identified in the state of New Jersey during the 2021-2022 school year. 

The McKinney-Vento EHCY program ensures children and youth experiencing homelessness have equal access to a free, appropriate public education, and are able to enroll in and attend school. The program funds supplemental academic support services for children and youth experiencing homelessness to ensure their school success. 

The New Jersey Department of Education has established a grant program that focuses on providing instructional services that are supplemental to the regular school program.  It also focuses on referral services to appropriate community-based organizations with the goal of ensuring all children and youth experiencing homelessness meet challenging state academic and student performance standards. 

This three-year grant program is open to local educational agencies (LEAs) selected through a competitive process in Year 1. Funded LEAs, also known as "Projects," coordinate and provide educational programs and services for children and youth experiencing homelessness residing in the LEA's project area.