The Rhode Island Department of Education has adopted Section 725(2) of McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Act regarding the definition of homeless children and youth:

Individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence or have a primary nighttime residence in a supervised, publicly or privately, operated shelter for temporary accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill), an institution providing temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized, or a public or private place not designated for, ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodations for human beings.

You could qualify for this act.

Know your rights - School House Connection

Are you staying in temporary housing?
Do you want your children to stay at their current school?
Are you having trouble enrolling your children in school, or getting them there?

If you are staying temporarily with someone else because you lost your housing, or staying in a motel, campground, shelter, or in an outside or inadequate place, you and your children have special rights at school.

Those rights include:

Staying in the same school even if you move, and receiving transportation to that school, as long as it is in the student’s best interest

Enrolling in school immediately without the documents schools usually require

Receiving free school meals

Getting help with school supplies and other needs

Extra support for youth who are on their own

Help connecting young children with early childhood services

Contact Middletown’s McKinney-Vento Liaison to find out if you qualify for help.  Megan Mainzer mmainzer@mpsri.net

The Family & Community Engagement team works hard to support families and students by connecting them to school and community resources.  We work together with parents, staff and community members to collaborate and learn from each other. WE connect the school community and families to elevate student achievement through best practices in family engagement.

Family & Community Engagement provides wraparound services, home visits, workshops and gatherings to create meaningful connections and partnerships between home and school.

Our families are diverse in culture, language and needs and we here in Middletown are ready to assist in any way possible!

Middletown Public Schools has partnered with Ocean State TRANSIT to provide the safest, most cost effective, bus transportation. Please visit Ocean State TRANSIT's web site to learn more. https://oceanstatetransit.net/

Ocean State TRANSIT Contact Information: 401.619.4711

Megan Mainzer
Director of Family Support/McKinney Vento Liaison
Phone: 401-849-2122, ext. 2140
Email: mmainzer@mpsri.net

Natalia Silva Patterson
District Translator
Phone: 401-849-2122, ext. 2174
Email: nsilvapatterson@mpsri.net