Center Based Attendance

POLICY:

NOCAC Child Development tracks attendance for each child.  NOCAC staff ensures each child receives all of the benefits regardless of attendance.

PROCEDURES:

NOCAC Child Development implements a process that ensures the safety of the participant upon arrival at school and the well-being of participants who are unexpectedly absent with no contact from the family.

1. If a participant is unexpectedly absent and a family member has not contacted the center within an hour of class start time a NOCAC Staff member must attempt to contact the family to ensure the participant and family well-being.
2. Promoting good attendance:
   1. NOCAC Child Development implements strategies to promote attendance.  At a minimum NOCAC Child Development provides information about the benefits of regular attendance to families through:
      1. Family Handbook and Calendar
      2. Classroom newsletters
      3. Family Connection articles
   2. Within 60 days of program operation and an ongoing basis thereafter, HS/EHS will use individual child attendance data to identify participants with patterns of absences that put the participant at risk of missing 10% of the program days per year.  HS/EHS will develop appropriate strategies to improve individual attendance such as:
      1.  Support the family is provided by NOCAC Child Development Staff through contact with the family within 1 hour class start time, providing parents with information on the importance of attendance, and direct contact with the family throuh a home visit or another form of direct contact with a child’s parents is completed.
         1. Modify classrooms to fit the family’s schedule.
         2. After two consecutive unexplained absences, a member of the NOCAC Staff teaching team notifies their Family Advocate (FA) by email.  The FA makes every attempt to contact the family by calling, texting, Facebook, Class Dojo, as well as any other reasonable way to contact the family.
         3. After three consecutive unexplained absences a NOCAC Staff member will go to the home and complete one of the following documents with the parents then scan and email to the Family and Community Engagement (FCE) Assistant:
            1. My Child’s Attendance Goal Form
            2. Family Goals, Strengths, and Support Form
            3. Family Contact Note Form
3. Managing systematic program attendance issues:
   1. HS/EHS will implement the following for participants whose attendance falls below 85% of the program year through:
      1.  Home visits and goal setting with the FA using one of the following documents: My Child’s Attendance Goal form, Family Goals, Strengths, and Support form, Family Contact Note form.
      2. Chronic absenteeism is tracked by the FCE Assistant.  Any and all forms completed that concern attendance issues are monitored and compared to the weekly classroom attendance forms.  The FCE Assistant works with the teaching teams, FA, and families to improve attendance by doing a minimum of one of the following:
         1. Phone calls
         2. Home Visits
         3. Provide documentation to families showing why regular attendance is so important
         4. Mailing letters when appropriate
         5. All communication and attempts to communicate are documented in Child Plus either in the Family Service Tab and/or the Attendance Tab.

Forms and Additional Guidance:

• My Child’s Attendance Goal form
• Family Goals, Strengths, and Support form
• Family Contact Note form