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.: 257058ADO

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 
 

Samantha Luck, Juvenile Defender Advocate, 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.  

Jenny Pokempner

Jenny Pokempner obtained her B.A. from Johns Hopkins University in 1995 and her J.D. From the University of Pennsylvania in 2000.  She joined YLC in the spring of 2021 as the Policy Director, working on both child welfare and juvenile justice issues, with particular emphasis on the needs and entitlements of older foster youth. Prior to joining YLC, Jenny worked at the Juvenile Law Center as a senior attorney and has played a large role in state and national reform work related to older youth in foster care, with areas of focus on: older youth permanency, extended foster care, eliminating group care, and improving educational and employment outcomes and opportunities. Jenny values using legal strategies that are informed by and done in partnership with young people with experience in foster care. Jenny is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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.

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.