Parent Information
The law says that a child or youth without a fixed, regular and adequate residence is homeless. It does not matter how long the child or youth has been without a home. It also does not matter if the child or youth is living with a parent or is separated from parents. Under the Act, students are homeless if they are:
- Living with a friend, relative or someone else because they lost their home or can't afford a home
- Staying in a hotel or motel
- Living in an emergency or transitional shelter or a domestic violence shelter
- Staying in substandard housing
- Living in a car, park, public place, abandoned building or bus or train station
- Living in a campground or an inadequate trailer home
- Abandoned in a hospital; or living in a runaway or homeless youth shelter
Resources
2019 McKinney-Vento Parent Toolkit (new window)
Double Up Food Bucks Flyer - English and Spanish Version (new window)
Local Community Resources in Ottawa and Allegan Counties (new window)
Parent Resources from the National Center for Homeless Education (new window)
Need Help?
- Call 211 for immediate assistance with housing, shelter and other needs.
- Find a food pantry or community meal at the Ottawa Food (new window) website
- Concerned about human trafficking? Check out the Ottawa County Human Trafficking Task Force's (new window) website for more information.
Partner Shelters
The Bridge (new window) - Youth Shelter in Grand Rapids
Resilience (new window) - Women and Children's Shelter
Gateway Mission Holland (new window) - Family Shelter