WHO WE ARE
The Kalispell HEART Program is a non-profit under the umbrella of School District 5.
Using funding through Title 1, various grants, and community donations, the HEART Program's case managers identify and support students and families experiencing homelessness under the federal McKinney-Vento Act. The McKinney-Vento Act is a crucial federal law designed to protect the educational rights of students experiencing housing instability. The Kalispell HEART Program, through case management and resource referral, aims to remove barriers for MKV students to gain a public education.
When referring to families with students in the school system, the McKinney-Vento Act expands the term homelessness to include many scenarios. A family may be doubled up with another for economic reasons. A family may be in a shelter, a camper, or a hotel. Another may not have heat. Or a youth may be couch surfing because of an unsafe situation at home. Many different setups can qualify a student as MKV, which can opens the door to school support.
WHAT WE DO
We identify and support over 400 McKinney-Vento families in Kalispell and Evergreen Schools annually.
MKV case managers support families and unaccompanied youth by providing no cost resources like clothing, bulk food, school supplies, and hygiene products through bi-monthly Open Hours at the HEART Locker and weekdays through the school HEART Markets. Additionally, grant funds and community donations allow the HEART Program to support qualified families with emergency housing and connecting families to long-term stable housing, transportation resources, and case management.