Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Last week, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction announced it will allocate more than $10 million in federal grant funds to aid school districts in identifying and supporting students experiencing homelessness.
The funds are part of $800 million released from the U.S. Department of Education in the American Rescue Plan Act’s Homeless Children and Youth Program. There were 17,179 students experiencing homelessness in Wisconsin during the 2019-20 school year.
Wisconsin is eligible to leverage up to 25% of the funding for state-determined uses. The remainder of the funding will be allocated to school districts through competitive grants and formula subgrants. The Education for Homeless Children and Youth program provides homeless students with access to education and transportation. EHCY is also crucial in identifying students experiencing homelessness and performing outreach in the community. Each district in Wisconsin has a homeless liaison, who provides resources and support to students experiencing homelessness.
For further information on the DPI’s continuous efforts to support students experiencing homelessness, visit https://dpi.wi.gov/homeless/arp-hcy. For a list of homeless liaisons in your community, visit https://dpi.wi.gov/homeless/liaisons.