Who Do We Serve? TCAPS' Students in Transition Empowerment Program (STEP) serves students ages 3 - 20 in all schools throughout the school district. The STEP Program works behind the scenes helping students to remain in their current school, maintaining school stability, as often as possible and when it is in the best interest of the child. Any student who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate overnight residence (at anytime during the school year) is eligible to receive STEP services. Students may be found living in the following situations: In a shelter, motel, vehicle, camper, or campground Temporarily sharing the housing of friends or family (“doubled-up”) due to economic hardship Unaccompanied youth living on their own, without a parent or guardian Inadequate accommodations (lack of electricity, heat, plumbing, or overcrowding) Abandoned buildings, or on the street Students who are couch surfing, staying with friends Foster care, less than six months in same placement Displaced due to natural disaster or fire In 2008-2009, Traverse City Area Public Schools’ STEP Program identified over 500 TCAPS students in grades PreK-12 who qualified as “in residential transition” under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. As of March 4, 2010 of the current school year, STEP has served over 370 eligible students throughout the district’s elementary (138) , middle (38), and high schools (196). School staff involved in identifying students in transition include the STEP Specialist on site, bus drivers, food service staff, counselors, school social workers, teachers, secretaries, administrators, parents,students, or by word of mouth. Once identified, students can begin receiving the services they need in order to stay in school and obtain the education they need. Return to the STEP Home Page