About NCHEP

The North Carolina Homeless Education Program (NCHEP) is the Education for Homeless Children and Youths Program for the state of North Carolina. In January 2009, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction contracted with The SERVE Center at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
 
NCHEP is dedicated to ensuring that all children and youth experiencing homelessness have access to the public education to which they are entitled under the federal McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act. NCHEP works towards this goal by ensuring that North Carolina's state policies are in compliance with federal law, by providing technical assistance to North Carolina's local homeless education liaisons, and by providing informational and awareness materials to educators and other interested community members throughout North Carolina.

 

 

During the 2016-2017 school year, North Carolina public schools reported that 29,545* students enrolled in grades K-12  experienced homelessness during the school year.

*Based on unofficial unduplicated nighttime residency reporting data.

 

While the majority of NC K-12 students experiencing homelessness live in the more populous regions of the State, both urban and rural regions face unique challenges in identifying and serving the educational needs of these students.

+Homeless children and youth are highly mobile and may attend school in more than one school district; therefore, there may be some duplication across Local Education Agencies. 

The majority of NC K-12 students identified as homeless live in doubled-up situations (sharing housing). Families living doubled up are often confined to one room and are frequently asked to leave without notice. They may live in fear of causing a problem for their host, knowing that they could be kicked out at any time. Children and youth often do not have space to study and cannot get sufficient rest due to overcrowding or stress; thus, they may not be prepared to perform well in school. 

+Homeless children and youth are highly mobile and may attend school in more than one school district; therefore, there may be some duplication across Local Education Agencies. 

 

Of the students reported as experiencing homelessness during the 2017-2018 school year, nearly 70 percent were reported to have some type of disability, while nearly 29% percent were reported to have limited English proficiency (LEP).

+Homeless children and youth are highly mobile and may attend school in more than one school district; therefore, there may be some duplication across Local Education Agencies. 

Around nine percent of students reported annually by NC K-12 public schools as experiencing homelessness from the 2012-13SY through the 2016-17SY are unaccompanied homeless youth (UHY).

Unaccompanied Homeless Youth are those children and youth who experience homelessness (lack a fixed, regular, and adequate residence) and are unaccompanied (not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian).  

View NC Homeless Children and Youth Data from the 2015-2016 School Year.

To learn more about educating homeless children and youth in North Carolina, view the video Educating Homeless Children and Youth in North Carolina. In this video, students, families and educators share  stories of the real struggles students face, as well, as some of the challenges educators encounter in trying to support the academic success of these students. 

National Data on the Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY)

The Federal Data Summary School Years 2014-15 to 2016-17: Education for Homeless Children and Youth report marks the twelfth school year for which the U.S. Department of Education has collected annual performance data from all states for the Education for  Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Program.