Identification & Recruitment

Before migrant children can be served by the Migrant Education Program (MEP), they need to be found eligible to receive program services. Identification and Recruitment (ID&R) is the first step in the effort to locate and serve the children of migrant farm workers. Knowledge and implementation of solid ID&R strategies assists states in locating migrant families in order to properly serve them. Without ID&R, serving migrant families and their children would not be possible.

ID&R is critical because, often, the most mobile children are the hardest to find, the most in need, and the most forgotten. Recruiting all migrant children is a federal mandate. More importantly, the timely and effective identification of migrant children is the first step in ensuring that the services will go to those who need them most.

Technical assistance to train migrant education recruiters addresses several factors. Recruiters and migrant administrators need to be cognizant of the MEP program guidelines and regulations, as well as any current guidance by the Office of Migrant Education. The most effective and appropriate strategies to make proper eligibility determinations needs to be shared with migrant staff, taking into consideration the realities of the local programs. Additional training topics include: Certificate of Eligibility (COE) documentation and completion; strengthening interview techniques; networking with other agencies; finding migrant children using district and/or community-based efforts; ensuring personal safety of recruiters; and developing quality control assurances.

ESCORT can assist by:

• Offering technical assistance on re-thinking and re-structuring state and local ID&R processes
• Sharing resources from other states
• Helping recruiters and administrators understand the statute, regulations and guidance involving the ID&R process
• Assessing a particular region's ID&R needs
• Providing training in all aspects related to recruitment
• Serving as a “critical friend” to evaluate state and district ID&R methods
• Assisting recruiters and administrators in establishing the connection between the National Migrant Education Hotline and the recruitment of children in the MEP

Follow the links below to learn more about how ESCORT can help your program.