Lesson 3
Attendance

Compliance
Indicator

The program has adopted policies and procedures that are consistent with statutes and regulations on excused absences including best interest days and abandonment of care.

Regulations/Reference

EED Program Instrument: I. Family Files EED 06
Education Code: 8205, 8207 & 8234
Title 5: 17818 - 17822

Monitoring Review Evidence

  • Attendance Registry Records

  • Sign-In/Out Records

  • Timely Payments to Family Childcare Providers

Watch Video Lesson ❯

 

Sample Forms/Tools ❯

Attendance Forms/Tools

 

Promoting Attendance

 

Review Sketch Pad Notes ❯

 

Attendance

 

According to the regulations, attendance means the number of children present at a child care & development facility. 

Attendance, for purposes of reimbursement, includes excused absences.

 

Excused Absence Policy

 

Contractors are required to adopt policies (board approved) for excused absences AND must inform parents of the policies.

According to the regulations, a contractors Excused Absence policy must define &/or describe the circumstances for each of the following areas:

  • Illness/quarantine of parent

  • Illness/quarantine of child

  • Family emergency

  • Court ordered visitation

  • Best interest

What this might look like in a program:

 

Attendance & Absence Policy is developed & approved by agency board AND is shared with parents upon enrollment & at annual orientation. A sample excused absence policy might include:

 
 

Abandonment of Care Policy

Contractors are required to adopt policies for abandonment of care.

A child may NOT be disenrolled due to excessive absences except in circumstances when the family does not follow the reasonable absence policy resulting in the child abandoning care.

According to the regulations, families may not be enrolled in a program if they are not using services. When the family has not been in communication with the center for 7 consecutive calendar days & has not notified the center of the reason for not using service, the center must:

  1. Promptly notify the contractor

  2. The contractor must attempt to contact the parent through a variety of communication methods using the contact information on file

  3. The contractor must inform the parent that failure to communicate with the contractor or center may result in termination of services

  4. If there is no contact for a total of 30 consecutive calendar days, the contractor must issue a Notice of Action for disenrollment due to abandonment of care

Sample Procedure:

 
 

What might this look like in a program:

 

  • Ceci has been absent for 7 consecutive calendar days & there has been no contact with the parent.

  • Teacher Ann has been documenting her attempts to contact Ben, Ceci’s father, regarding Ceci’s absences with no success. 

  • Since Ceci has been out with no parent contact for 7 consecutive days, Teacher Ann notifies the Central Office which prompts the agency to contact Ben to follow-up on Ceci’s absences.

  • A formal notice is also issued that includes reference to the absence policy & steps to follow if Ben fails to respond. 

  • Since Ben did not respond or contact the agency after 30 consecutive calendar days, the agency issues the Notice of Action for disenrollment due to abandonment of services along with due process instructions. 

NOTE: Maintain records of all communication attempts

 
 

Gap in Services

 

Contractors MAY have a policy allowing parents to request a temporary gap of services during which time attendance would not be reported.  There is no need for any formal leave for absences that are excused, even if the absences are for an extended period. 

Parents are still required to abide by the contractor’s absence policies. Upon return after the temporary gap, the family will receive services based on the certified hours they were receiving before they left.

 

Parent Education

 

Contractors must have a system to inform families of the attendance expectations & absence policies.

What this may look like in a program:

Include absence policy within:

  • Program Orientation

  • Parent Handbook

  • Parent Board

  • Agency Website

 

Complete Knowledge Check ❯

After reviewing the video lesson & sketch pad notes, it’s time to check for understanding by completing a Knowledge Check. Note that Individual Knowledge Checks will conclude with a Certificate.

Individual Knowledge Check (ProProfs) >


Group Knowledge Check (Kahoot!) >