What is Identification and Recruitment?

Regional and district staff work at identifying children within Fresno County that may qualify for participation in the Migrant Education program. Once these children are identified a recruiter arranges a visit to determine the eligibility and to recruit them for the program.

Why is Identification and Recruitment so important?

Identification and Recruitment is the backbone to the Migrant Education program. All children that receive services must be identified and recruited. Identifying children from a population that is mobile and frequently living in remote, rural areas is a constant challenge for Migrant staff. To this end frequent regional, state and national forums are held to discuss more effective methods of identifying and recruiting the population we serve.

How does Identification and Recruitment work?

Recruiters develop a network of people, businesses and institutions that help in finding and referring potentially eligible children and young adults. Once the children are identified the recruiter makes a visit and determines their eligibility by asking the parents or guardians a few simple questions. If the requirements are met the Certificate of Eligibility is filled out and signed by the parent/guardian.

The information is then sent to the Regional office where an Eligibility Technician reviews the form, checking for mistakes and confirming that the child meets the guidelines for inclusion in the program. The information is then entered into the system. This allows for prioritizing of services, follow up for re-authorization, and reporting of services provided.

For the recruiter, finding migrant students and their families is a difficult task, given their diverse working hours, unmarked homes, and work locations that change often. To assist the districts in their efforts to extend their services to as many children as possible the regional office has a regional recruiter. The regional recruiter travels to the various districts to seek out and enroll new migrant family member. Armed with information regarding the various migrant services and programs; lists of names given by the district; and locations of migrant communities, the regional recruiter connects the migrant families to the needed educational, social and health services.

What Makes a Child Eligible?

To qualify for the Migrant Education Program, a migrant child must have moved within the past three years across state or school district boundaries with a migrant parent, guardian, or self, to enable the child, the child's guardian, or a member of the child's immediate family to obtain temporary or seasonal employment in an agricultural, fishing, or food processing activity. The child may be in any grade between preschool and the 12th grade and must not be older than twenty-two and not a high school graduate.