NewsLine staff
The Nassau County School District is delivering food directly to students and families with temporary or unstable housing, through a partnership among its Food and Nutrition Services Department, its McKinney-Vento program and its police department, according to a district release.
Food and Nutrition Services, led by director Trevor Kennedy, provided pallets of food boxes for students served by the McKinney-Vento program, which is coordinated by liaison Mollie Cressey. Each box holds enough food for up to seven days.
As Cressey began coordinating distribution, another need became clear. Some families had no transportation or way to pick up the boxes, and the boxes were too large to send home with students on school buses.
That is when the district’s elementary school resource officers stepped in. Under the leadership of Chief D.J. Valentine, the Nassau County School District Police Department’s elementary school resource officers are working with Cressey to deliver food boxes directly to families after school hours.
“When a need is identified, people across departments step in, work together and find a way to support students and families,” the district said in the release.
What is the McKinney-Vento program?
The McKinney-Vento program protects the educational rights of children and youth who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. According to the Florida Department of Education, the program addresses barriers students may face in enrolling, attending and succeeding in school, and it helps ensure equal access to a free, appropriate public education.
Families may qualify if they are temporarily staying with others because of loss of housing or economic hardship; living in a hotel or motel because they have no other adequate place to stay; staying in a temporary shelter; or experiencing another temporary or unstable housing situation.
How to get help
Families who believe their child may qualify can contact their child’s school or Cressey, the district’s McKinney-Vento liaison. The district can help determine eligibility and connect families with services and resources.
For more information about the district’s McKinney-Vento program and Families in Transition services, visit nassau.k12.fl.us/mckinney-vento.
