Services for Homeless Students

The Ottumwa Community School District is committed to serving the best interests of its students who are homeless. Whenever feasible, the District provides assistance to minimize the effects of housing instability by maintaining a stable educational environment.

WHAT WE DO

The Family Service Advocate coordinates a variety of activities to assist homeless families with school age children. Primary activities include eliminating traditional barriers to students being enrolled in school immediately. This includes such things as residency requirements, guardianship, transportation, school fees, lack of student records and special programs.

The District is responsible for enrolling children in the school best suited to their situation, and for providing prompt and sensitive assistance to parents. The Homeless Program serves children and youth in grades PK-12 who are students in the Ottumwa Community School District and are considered to be homeless according to the State definition:

  • A homeless child or youth ages 3-21
  • A child who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence
  • A child who is sharing the housing of others (includes doubled-up families) due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; is living in a motel, hotel, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations; is living in an emergency or transitional shelter; is abandoned in a hospital, or is awaiting foster care placement.
  • A child who has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for humans beings
  • A child who is living in a car, park, abandoned building, substandard housing, bus or train station, or similar setting; or
  • A migratory child/youth who qualifies as homeless because of the living circumstances described above
  • Includes youth who have runaway or youth being forced to leave home.

CLICK HERE FOR NOTICE OF RIGHTS

Family Service Advocate, Meadow Ream

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