Identification and Recruitment

Identification and Recruitment (ID&R)

The primary objective of identification and recruitment (ID&R) is to conduct timely and proper identification and recruitment of eligible migrant children.

Identifying and recruiting eligible migrant children is vital of the Migrant Education Program (MEP). Identification means determining the presence and location of migrant children within the district. Recruitment means describing the benefits of the MEP through a face-to-face interview to the child and his or her family and obtaining the necessary information to document the child's eligibility and enrollment into the program. Identification and recruitment of migrant children are critical because:

children who are most in need of program services are often those who are the most difficult to find.
many migrant children would not fully benefit from school, and in some cases, would not attend school at all, if the district failed to identify and recruit them into the MEP.
children cannot receive MEP services without a record of eligibility.

Migrant children and youth are identified and recruited for the MEP through an interview process conducted by the Recruiter. Because of the highly mobile nature of migratory work in agriculture or fishing, it is required that identification and recruitment be conducted beyond the campus and throughout the school district community. As the Recruiter is responsible for the identification and recruitment of all eligible migrant children in the district, it is important to develop and implement policies and procedures that efficiently and effectively meet the responsibility to correctly identify and recruit all eligible migrant children residing in the district. Funding is based, in part, on the annual count of eligible migrant children.

All criteria below must be met in order to identify and recruit a child as eligible for the MEP:

Who?	A child who is, or whose parent, spouse, or guardian, is a migratory agricultural worker or migratory fisher;
What?	has moved;
Where?	from one school district to another; or, in a state that is comprised of a single school district, has moved from one school administrative area to another within such district;
Why?	in order to obtain, or accompany such parent, spouse, or guardian in order to obtain, temporary or seasonal employment in agricultural or fishing work that serves as a principal means of livelihood for the worker and his or her family;
When?	within the preceding 36 months;

For information, contact the Grants Administration and Compliance office at (956) 254-5024

Additional Resources:

Identification and Recruitment (U.S. Department of Education)