The Youth Rights & Resources Toolkit for Connecticut youth in unstable housing situations is a project of the Connecticut State Department of Education, Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, Institute for Community Research, Center for Children’s Advocacy, and the Partnership for Strong Communities.

The goal of this toolkit is to educate youth, front-line school staff, and community partners about some of their rights under McKinney-Vento Act and provide them with steps to address these specific issues. The federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act requires all school districts provide children and youth experiencing housing instability access to a public education and assistance to assure success in school. This includes the rights regarding school choice, immediate enrollment, and transportation.

The Youth Rights & Resources Toolkit is designed for youth, educators, service providers, youth service bureaus and other professionals working with youth. The toolkit includes a variety of online resources to raise awareness of youth housing instability, laws that protect youth rights, and the available resources for unstably housed youth in Connecticut.  The tools include:

  • Three short films (each approximately 3-minutes in length with accompanying discussion guides that can be used by schools and youth-serving organizations to raise awareness about the McKinney-Vento Act and how to protect youth rights.
  • Statistics on youth housing instability in Connecticut
  • Maps of resources and services available for youth ages 14-24 in the state
  • Useful links to obtain legal help, information and resources for youth
  • Up-to-date information on resources and efforts to end youth homelessness