Homeless and Foster Care Services

Information for Families with Insecure Housing or Experiencing Homelessness

Falls Church City Public Schools is responsible for ensuring that homeless children and youth are identified, enrolled, and receive equitable access to high quality education and support services.

In accordance with the McKinney-Vento Act, Falls Church City Public Schools staff members address the problems that homeless students face in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school, and aim to ensure that each student has equal access to the same free, appropriate education, including preschool, available to all children and youth. Homeless students should receive the educational and other services they need to meet the challenging academic standards to which all students are held. FCCPS objectives include:

  • Identifying and enrolling homeless students

  • Encouraging regular attendance and continuity in school

  • Promoting academic achievement

  • Providing transportation to school

  • Keeping open the lines of communication

Anyone, due to a lack of housing, can be considered homeless if they live in inadequate or temporary settings such as: emergency or transitional shelters; motels, hotels, trailer parks, campgrounds; are abandoned in hospitals or awaiting foster care placement; cars, parks, public places, bus or train stations; or in abandoned buildings; are doubled up with relatives or friends; or are migratory children or youth living in these conditions. Please read the FCCPS Admissions Policy for further information.

Homeless Unaccompanied Youth is a school-aged person who is not in the physical custody of a parent or legal guardian and who lives in inadequate or temporary setting, such as: doubled up with relatives who are not the legal guardian; staying with a friend or friend’s family; in an emergency or transitional shelter; in motels, hotels, campgrounds; in cars, parks, public places, bus or train stations; or in abandoned buildings.

FCCPS Homeless Youth Form

What Families and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Need to Know

  • Children and youth experiencing homelessness have a right to attend school.

  • Families do not need a permanent address to enroll a child in school.

  • Some unaccompanied youth may need to change where they stay frequently. Transportation services to and from school may be available.

  • Children and youth experiencing homelessness can stay in their original school or enroll in any public school that students living in the same attendance area are eligible to attend, according to their best interest. Schools must provide families with a written explanation if a placement dispute occurs, and the decision may be appealed by families.

  • A child cannot be denied school enrollment just because school records or other enrollment documentation are not immediately available. A child may have the right to transportation services to and from the school or origin, if determined feasible.

  • Every child has the right to participate in extracurricular activities and all federal, stat, and local programs for which he or she is eligible. Transportation may not be available for all of these activities.

Free and Reduced Lunch Procedures
Homeless students are entitled to Free and Reduced prices for Breakfast and Lunch and DO NOT need to fill out the regular application. To obtain meals, please contact the school social worker at the school where the student is attending or email the Homeless Liaison, Robin Borum at borumr@fccps.org. Families can connect with FCCPS Food Services Director, Richard Kane, at rkane@fccps.org as well, with additional questions about the school meal program.

FCCPS Weekend Backpack Food Program
FCCPS provides non-perishable, kid-friendly foods to families of students identified as having a need for additional food on the weekends. School-aged children qualify to receive food as part of this program. Contact the students' school social worker or the Director of Food Services, Richard Kane, rkane@fccps.org to sign up for the program.

Transportation Procedures
FCCPS will provide transportation assistance for homeless students so that the student may remain at his or her school or origin. This transportation is arranged as the student is enrolling. Contact Homeless Liaison Robin Borum at borumr@fccps.org or the school social worker at your child's school to work together to provide assistance for transportation for students in need of transportation to and from school.

FCCPS Foster Care Coordination/Fostering Connections

Kinship Care
Falls Church City Public Schools, in partnership with other Fairfax County departments and agencies, offers services and programs for grandparents and other family members raising children in the place of a parent. See information for Kinship Care Support here.

If you need support for a student in foster care, call the FCCPS Student Services Department at 703-248-5630 or contact Robin Borum, FCCPS Foster Care Liaison at borumr@fccps.org. 

Other Useful Resources

Falls Church partners with Fairfax County for many community resources.

Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning (CSP)

CSP can assist with the following services for Falls Church City and Fairfax County residents:

  • Emergency Housing/Food

  • Basic Needs

  • Financial Assistance

  • Health Care Services

  • Referrals at

  • CSP accepts phone calls only: 703-222-0880, TTY 711

Mental Health Resources and Emergency Services Information

  • Call 911 in case of a life threatening emergency

  • For emergency mental health assessments, visit your nearest emergency room

  • Dominion Hospital (Emergency Mental Health Evaluations): 703-538-2872

  • Sharon Bulova Center for Community Mental Health:

    Emergency Services, staffed 24 hours per day, seven days per week, works with people in psychiatric crisis who need immediate attention. 703-573-5679

  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988. The 988 Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Project Hope Virginia

  • Provides information and supports students who are experiencing homelessness

FCCPS Staff Who Can Help

FCCPS Homeless and Foster Care Liaison
Robin Borum
borumr@fccps.org
703-248-5625
571-419-7741 (text)

FCCPS Student Services Department
703-248-5630

FCCPS School Social Work Services 

School social workers are mental health professionals who address the social, emotional, behavioral, and environmental factors impacting a student’s ability to achieve at school. Parent liaisons are bi-lingual Spanish- and English-speaking professionals who work with parents.