Quentina Brown named National Homeless Liaison of the Year

The Lafourche Parish School District proudly announced that Quentina Brown was named the National Homeless Liaison of the Year. “We are proud of this amazing accomplishment and the outstanding service to the students of Lafourche Parish,” reads a statement from the school district. Brown has served the parish for 13 years, working as the Lafourche Parish McKinney-Vento Program Liaison to ensure homeless and transitional students stay in school by removing barriers to attendance. Brown also serves as the Lafourche Parish Foster Care POC, and the Neglected and Delinquent Coordinator.

With over 2,000 in attendance, Brown was awarded the distinction on Monday, October 31, 2022 at the 34th Annual National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth Conference, held in San Diego, California. “I was shocked, I just couldn’t believe it,” Brown shared. “In August, I was named the Louisiana Homeless Liaison of the Year. After that recognition, I was eligible for the national award, but never dreamed I would get it! Thank you to everyone who wrote a reference letter for me, and to the teachers in Lafourche who teach our kids daily. Thank you to my Media Center family for all the support, and especially thank you to my girls, Yasmin and Chrishell, who are my daily motivation!”

“The most rewarding part of my job is working with my team, and serving students in need. I couldn’t do this by myself. Currently we are serving 841 students. Last year in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, our numbers tripled,” Brown explained. “We provide services to the whole family, not just the students. In that we find greater success.”

Growing up in a household of domestic violence, and strained living arrangements, Brown knows first hand how difficult life can be for innocent children. “There was no emphasis on education in our home. I eventually became a defiant teenager. Then, I became a statistic,” Brown shared. “I never thought I would go to college. I had my first daughter during my senior year of high school. My daughter’s grandfather was the one who encouraged me to get my education. He mentored me, and it changed my life,” said Brown.

Brown attended Nicholls State University, and earned an associates degree in childhood development and preschool management, and then a bachelor’s degree in family consumer science, with a concentration in social services. “Monica Oncale, mentored me during that time. I worked with the LeCirque Program, a living skills program in Senator Circle in Houma. That was my first experience with social work,” said Brown. After earning her master’s degree in social work from Tulane University in 2009, Brown started her career with the Lafourche Parish School District.

“When I’m helping others, I think about how I would want my daughters to be treated and helped, if they ever found themselves in need. I also constantly learn from my supervisor Jimi Encalade. She knows education, and kids, and truly wants all kids to be successful, every last one of them. She impress me everyday,” Brown explained.

The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) is a national membership association dedicated to educational equity and excellence for children and youth experiencing homelessness. As the National Homeless Liaison of the Year, Brown was recognized for the following:

• Demonstrating a clear understanding of the challenges faced by children, youth and families, including unaccompanied youth and preschool-aged children as it relates to homelessness.
• Have a thorough awareness and knowledge of State and school district policies and other state and local policies that impact children and youth experiencing homelessness.
• Recognized as experts in the field and have the ability to meet the needs of children/youth experiencing homelessness, support and encourage academic success and implement cross program coordination and community collaboration.
• Exemplify leadership and innovation in regard to the implementation and compliance with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
• Are well-known within their school system and community, earning the admiration and respect of their colleagues and community members.

Brown actively assists students through the McKinney-Vento Program by providing school supplies and backpacks, after school tutoring, school uniforms, case management, payment of school fees, assistance with documentation (birth certificates, immunization records, etc.), and referral to community resources for student and their families.

A student without a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence is considered homeless. Families living in hotels or motels, parks or camping areas, shelters or transitional living, vehicles or on streets, doubled-up with friends or family, living in sub-standard housing without utilities, runaway or throwaway teens and abandoned children are eligible for services.

“Congratulations to our very own Quentina Brown on being our National Homeless Liaison of the Year. Your hard work and dedication to the homeless of Lafourche Parish is remarkable. Your leadership sets the tone everyday for greatness. You are a force to be reckoned with,” reads a statement from the Lafourche Parish McKinney-Vento Program.