Keeping Kids in School

Keeping Kids in School

Kids have a better shot at a successful future when they are in the classroom learning. Policies that focus on preventing and curtailing truancy increase public safety. This is why OAG is combatting truancy in two ways: diverting truant youth to community-based programming and running a program that helps parents address attendance barriers for their children.

Connecting Youth with Intervention Services

OAG receives court referrals for youth ages 14-17 who are truant from school. Since 2020, OAG has exercised its discretion not to prosecute youth with poor attendance. Instead, OAG refers youth to community-based interventions that address underlying barriers to attendance and connects them to strength based, prosocial activities.

Helping Parents Address Attendance Barriers

Working closely with the Superior Court for the District of Columbia and stakeholders, OAG launched a program to serve parents with elementary and middle school aged children who struggle with chronic absenteeism. ATTEND (Abating Truancy Through Engagement and Negotiated Dialogue) Mediation Program is a prevention model that addresses chronic absenteeism in elementary and middle schools. Embedded in ten schools across the District, ATTEND offers school-based case management and parent and community engagement activities. In ATTEND, cases are mediated between the parent and school in a neutral environment and ATTEND case managers link parents to community-based services through the Mayor’s Services Liaison Office (MSLO). The goal of ATTEND is to help children and their families address the underlying issues causing chronic absenteeism while minimizing the likelihood of repeat referrals and giving parents the opportunity to avoid court intervention.