Attendance1302.16
Policy
All Head Start children are expected to attend every day. Students who attend school regularly do better academically and are more likely to establish work habits that help them succeed in life and work. Staff will assist families whose child is not attending regularly.
Procedure
(a) Promoting regular attendance. KI BOIS Head Start staff will track attendance for each child.
The Center Attendance Record (KHS-904) will be used to document each child’s attendance daily within 1 hour of program start time. The back of this form is to be used to analyze the causes of absenteeism.This information is also entered into the ChildPlus system on a daily basis.
(1) KI BOIS Head Start will implement a process to ensure children are safe when they do not arrive at school. If a child is unexpectedly absent and a parent has not contacted the center within one hour of program start time, the staff must attempt to contact the parent to ensure the child’s well-being.
(2) Head Start will implement strategies to promote attendance. At a minimum, this must include:
(i) Provide information about the benefits of regular attendance;
(ii) Support families to promote the child’s regular attendance;
(iii) Conduct a home visit or make other direct contact with a child’s parents if a child has multiple unexplained absences (such as two consecutive unexplained absences);
If the absences are a result of illness or if they are well documented absences for other reasons, no special action is required. If, however, the absences result from other factors, including temporary family problems that affect a child's regular attendance, staff must initiate appropriate family support procedures for all children with twoor more consecutive unexcused absences. These procedures must include home visits or other direct contact with the child's parents. Contacts with the family must emphasize the benefits of regular attendance, while at the same time remaining sensitive to any special family circumstances influencing attendance patterns.
This family support may be provided by any center staff member, Family Service Worker or other staff.
All contacts with the child's family as well as special family support service activities provided by program staff must be documented on the Family Contact Record (KHS-800).
(iv) Within the first 60 days of program operation, and on an ongoing basis thereafter, use individual child attendance data to identify children with patterns of absence that put them at risk of missing ten percent of program days per year and develop appropriate strategies to improve individual attendance among identified children, such as direct contact with parents or intensive case management, as necessary.
(b) Managing systematic program attendance issues.
(1) When the monthly average daily attendance rate falls below 85 percent, each classroom must analyze the causes of absenteeism. The analysis must include a study of the pattern of absences for each child, including the reasons for absences as well as the number of absences that occur on consecutive days.
(2) In circumstances where chronic absenteeism persists the child's slot must be considered an enrollment vacancy.
(i) If family support measures have not been successful and chronic absenteeism persists, after 15days of absences (not consecutive), the child’s slot may be considered vacant. Parent should be contacted prior to this decision.
(ii) Centers who are in collaboration contracts with Public Schools must abide by their requirements.
(c) Supporting attendance of homeless children.
(1) If KI BOIS Head Start determines a child is eligible under §1302.12(c)(1)(iii), it must allow the child to attend for up to 90 days or as long as allowed under state licensing requirements, without immunization and other records, to give the family reasonable time to present these documents. Family Service Workers must work with families to get children immunized as soon as possible in order to comply with state licensing requirements.
(2) If a child experiencing homelessness is unable to attend classes regularly because the family does not have transportation to and from the program facility, KI BOIS Head Start will utilize community resources, where possible, to provide transportation for the child.
6-2017