Social Welfare Policy, Benefits, and Community Resources
Core concepts
Understand the laws and programs shaping school social work: IDEA (free appropriate public education, least restrictive environment, procedural safeguards), Section 504, McKinney-Vento (homeless student rights), FERPA, Title I, child welfare and Medicaid/CHIP, SNAP, and TANF. Know how to connect families to community resources and the barriers (eligibility, stigma, transportation, language). Distinguish entitlement from discretionary programs.
Traps
Questions often test whether you know a specific right-e.g., McKinney-Vento guarantees immediate enrollment and transportation despite missing documents. Avoid answers that assume families know their rights or that a single referral solves the problem; follow-up and advocacy matter. Watch for confusing IDEA (specialized instruction) with 504 (accommodations) and for assuming benefits are automatic.
Worked example
A family is doubled up with relatives after eviction. Under McKinney-Vento, the student can enroll immediately without proof of residency and receive transportation. Referring them to a shelter without addressing enrollment rights is the trap.
Rule of thumb
Know the "big five" school laws (IDEA, 504, McKinney-Vento, FERPA, Title I) and match each scenario to the specific right it triggers.