Accurate attendance tracking is important for many reasons, including payment. Families will be given a Hoosier Works for Child Care card to access their child care benefits. Families must swipe their card in a Point of Service (POS) machine to track attendance at the program location. As an On My Way Pre-K provider, you will be given a POS machine when you are approved and registered for the program. Using the POS system is the easiest way to ensure accurate and timely attendance records.
Attendance and family engagement go hand in hand. By focusing on attendance now, you can help to build good attendance habits as the child progresses into kindergarten and beyond. Parents need to agree that the child will attend the On My Way Pre-K program at least 85% of the time. Families are allowed up to 20 personal days per year. Personal days are days that the child does not attend the program. The parent must authorize any personal days that are used. If the child attends for at least 25 hours in a week, the provider will be paid at the full rate for the week.
We ask that providers proactively manage attendance issues. If a family is using up a large number of personal days and it is early in the school year, please reach out and contact them. You can also contact your county Project Manager or On My Way Pre-K Consultant for advice on how to handle the situation.
If you need ideas on how to encourage good attendance in your program, there are a lot of resources and tools available at Attendance Works.
Expulsion is a Last Resort
There may be rare instances when a child needs to be removed from a program. Expulsion is the last resort in extraordinary circumstances where there is a serious safety threat that cannot otherwise be reduced or eliminated by providing reasonable modifications for the child or family. If you are having issues or concerns with a child or family, please contact your county Project Manager or On My Way Pre-K Consultant as soon as possible so we can assist you. It needs to be an informed decision that is in the best interests of the child, the family, and the program.
Providers are required to notify the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL) in advance and obtain prior approval for any exclusionary actions, including suspension or expulsion from the program.