Midcoast Youth Center announced this week it is expanding its McKinney-Vento outreach efforts to better support families and unaccompanied minors experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Thanks to recent MaineHousing Emergency Relief funding, two new Outreach Housing Specialists will join MYC teams, significantly increasing the organization’s capacity to serve youth in the Brunswick and Richmond school districts.

Jena Beaulieu and Danielle Bailey will collaborate with local schools, families and service providers to ensure equitable access to education and support services, as outlined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Their work will focus on identifying and supporting school-age youth and families facing housing instability.

“This expansion reflects a critical need in our community,” said Michele Cooper, MYC’s director of youth housing and homeless prevention. “Our goal is to ensure no young person slips through the cracks due to housing instability. By adding these two incredible professionals to our team, we’re not just increasing our reach — we’re strengthening the safety net for some of our most vulnerable youth.”

Beaulieu, a former staff member in the Special Education Department at Brunswick High School, holds a B.S. in mental health and human services from the University of Maine and is currently pursuing her master’s degree at the University of Southern Maine. She will serve as the primary liaison for the Richmond School District.

Bailey brings over a decade of experience in elder care, most recently as a personal support specialist with Aging Excellence. She also holds a bachelor’s in mental health and human services and is set to complete a master’s degree in trauma-informed emergency management with a concentration in community resilience this May. She will serve the Brunswick School District.

The pair will join veteran Outreach Housing Specialist Donna Verhoeven, who has worked in this role since 2002 and with MYC since 2017, covering Regional School Unit 1 and Maine School Administrative District 75. Verhoeven was the first paid employee of MYC, known then as Midcoast Community Alliance.

This expansion comes as local school districts report an alarming increase in the number of students identified as McKinney-Vento eligible. Last year’s totals were: RSU 1, 70 students; SAD 75, 40; Brunswick, 150; and Richmond, 40. With the addition of Brunswick and Richmond to MYC’s service area, the organization anticipates supporting up to 300 students annually — more than quadrupling its previous caseload.