This webinar will provide an overview of the educational rights and protections for students in foster care, experiencing homelessness, or from migrant families. Legal professionals working with youth will explore how federal laws—including the McKinney-Vento Act and ESSA—ensure school stability, immediate enrollment, and access to services. The session will highlight how these protections intersect with juvenile justice involvement and offer practical strategies to advocate for educational access and success.

Lunch-n-Learn - Educational Rights for Vulnerable Youth: Foster Care, McKinney-Vento, and Migrant Students
Friday, August 22, 2025
11:40 am - 1:15 pm
1.5 Hours MCLE Credit CLE Course No.: Pending
MS Teams Webinar: Click Here to Register
CLE Credit Code Word Test and Participant Survey: Click Here for Code Word Test and Participant Survey
CLE Attention Verification: You must pay attention to the presentation. At random points, a code word will be announced. You must write down the number and the word. At the end of the presentation, go to the link above and complete the code word test for CLE credit. We cannot provide code words after the fact, and sharing code words is not allowed.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This webinar will provide an overview of the educational rights and protections for students in foster care, experiencing homelessness, or from migrant families. Legal professionals working with youth will explore how federal laws—including the McKinney-Vento Act and ESSA—ensure school stability, immediate enrollment, and access to services. The session will highlight how these protections intersect with juvenile justice involvement and offer practical strategies to advocate for educational access and success.
AGENDA
11:40 a.m.- 11:45 a.m. Welcome & Speaker Introduction
Hervery B. O. Young, Deputy Director/General Counsel, SCCID
Lawrence Brown, Training Director, SCCID
11:45 a.m.- 1:15 p.m. Educational Rights for Vulnerable Youth: Foster Care,
McKinney-Vento, and Migrant Students
Kimberly Humphrey, Program Manager, SCDE McKinney-Vento Program
Birley Wright, State Coordinator, SCDE McKinney-Vento Program
Zachary Taylor, State Director, Migrant Education Program, Office of Federal and State Accountability
SPEAKER INFORMATION
Kimberly Humphrey
Kimberly began her career as a high school math teacher, where she worked on retaining freshman and improving graduation rates. She received her master’s in social work from the University of South Carolina. Her passion and past work includes foster care, inclusion, and community engagement. She serves as the Program Manager with the South Carolina Department of Education’s (SCDE) McKinney-Vento Program and as the SCDE’s foster care point of contact.
Birley Wright
Birley is the McKinney-Vento State Coordinator for the South Carolina Department of Education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and a master’s in education with an emphasis in Community Agency Counseling. Birley’s work and advocacy on behalf of children and families spans over 25 years. Her passion for early childhood development and education coupled with her fierce passion for serving children and families has guided her work in the area of child wellbeing.
Zachary Taylor
Zach has a lifelong passion for languages, multicultural education, and advocacy for underserved populations. He began working at the SCDE with the Title I, Part C Migrant Education Program in 2012 to increase identification and access for migratory farmworker children and families. Zach currently serves as the MEP state director and (SAAS) team lead in the Office of Federal and State Accountability.