HEAD START/EARLY HEAD START ERSEA POLICIES (Eligibility ...

1 HEAD START /EARLY HEAD START ERSEA POLICIES ( eligibility , recruitment , selection , enrollment , attendance ) Absentee Follow-up ..ER-1 Average Daily attendance ..ER-4 Daily attendance Records for Children ..ER-5 Documents Required before attendance ..ER-6 recruitment ..ER-7 recruitment , selection , and enrollment of Children ..ER-8 Transfers within Amarillo ..ER-11 Withdrawing a REGION 16 EDUCATION SERVICE CENTER Head START /Early Head START Subject: Absentee Follow-up Section: ERSEA Program: Head START /Early Head START Date Revised: April 28, 2016 Policy Council Approval: May 4, 2016 Regulation Reference: 45 CFR Part(s): Policy: The Head START /Early Head START program keeps track of absenteeism in order to ensure maximum benefits to enrolled children.

2 Procedure: Parent Handbook/ POLICIES states when a child is absent one day without a report from the parent, the following steps are taken. Amarillo Cleveland, Nelson, and Satellite Center-based Head START Program 1. Student attendance reports will be reviewed each month. 2. If a student is absent one day, the family services staff, instructional aide or teacher will contact the parent/guardian to offer support services. 3. If a student has five absences, the Family Service Assistant will contact the family through home visits, phone calls or direct contact. The staff will inform the family of the importance of the child s regular attendance and will provide support to the family to ensure the child s attendance improves.

3 Documentation of all efforts to improve attendance is maintained in the student data management system. 4. The parents/guardians of a student with 10 absences will be required to meet with the Student Success Team to develop a plan for providing support to the family to ensure attendance improves. Staff will ensure every effort is made to resolve any family social service issues or health issues to allow the child s continued attendance in the program. Documentation of all efforts to improve attendance will be maintained in the student data management system. 5. The parents of each student with 20 absences will be required to meet again with the Student Success Team to determine any needed changes in the plan for providing support to the family to ensure attendance improves.

4 Staff will ensure every effort is made to resolve any family social service issues or health issues to allow the child s continued attendance in the program. Documentation of all efforts to improve attendance will be maintained in the student data management system. 6. If absence from the classroom continues, and every effort to resolve issues hindering the child s attendance has been made, the Head START /Early Head START Director of Direct Services may consider the child s slot an enrollment vacancy. 7. The center administrative assistant will notify the family services assistant, the health aide or the LVN when a child is absent one day.

5 8. If the parent cannot be found, or home is vacant, then the child may be withdrawn with approval from the Data Management Assistant. Absentee Follow-up Page 2 Regional Center-based and Community-based Head START Programs 1. The Head START program will follow the local established school POLICIES . 2. In addition to the local school POLICIES , the Head START staff will: A. Investigate if a child is absent three consecutive days in a week. B. If parent contact cannot be made by phone; the family services assistant will make a home visit. C. If parent cannot be found, or home is vacant then the child may be withdrawn according to district policy.

6 D. In circumstances where chronic absenteeism persists, the child s slot may be considered an enrollment vacancy according to district policy. Community Partners Center-based Early Head START Programs 1. The Early Head START program will follow the local established child care center POLICIES . 2. In addition to the local child care center POLICIES , the Early Head START staff will: A. Investigate if a child is absent four consecutive days in a week. This investigation will begin with the child care center director to check the family s child care funding status. B. If parent contact cannot be made by phone; the family services staff will make a home visit.

7 C. If parent cannot be found, or home is vacant then the child will be withdrawn. Cleveland, Palo Duro, and Caprock Early Head START Programs 1. The administrative team will determine the number of available days annually for each respective program based on the adopted calendar. 2. A formula will be used to calculate the available number of days a child may be absent. The formula is: The number of days in a program option year multiplied by 85% equals the days a child may be absent. 3. The family services staff checks the attendance sheets weekly. 4. If the child is absent one day, the family services staff, instructional aide or teacher will call the parent to offer support services.

8 5. If parent cannot be found, or home is vacant then the child may be withdrawn with approval of the Data Management Assistant or the Early Head START Administrative Assistant. 6. attendance records will be reviewed each month to identify children with five or more absences. The family services staff will contact the family through home visits, phone calls or direct contact. The staff will inform the family of the importance of the child s regular attendance and will provide support to the family to ensure attendance improves. Documentation of all efforts to improve attendance will be maintained in the student data management system.

9 Absentee Follow-up Page 2 7. Each student with ten absences the family services staff will contact the family through home visits, phone calls or direct contact and will inform the family of the importance of the child s regular attendance , and will provide support to the family to ensure attendance improves. Documentation of all efforts to improve attendance will be maintained in the student data management system. 8. The parents/guardians of a student with 20 absences will be required to meet with the Student Success Team to develop a plan for providing support to the family to ensure attendance improves. Staff will ensure every effort is made to resolve any family social service issues or health issues to allow the child s continued attendance in the program.

10 Documentation of all efforts to improve attendance will be maintained in the student data management system. 9. If absence from the classroom continues, and every effort to resolve issues hindering the child s attendance has been made, the Head START /Early Head START Director of Direct Services may consider the child s slot an enrollment vacancy. HS/EHS Home-based Program Options 1. Children enrolled in the home-based option should have completed a minimum of 37 (of 44 possible) completed home visits during the year (Early Head START ) or a minimum of 32 (of 36 possible) completed home visits during the school calendar year (Head START ).