Child Absence in funded setting

[sarahcentral]

What is your policy for a child who is funded if they are absent for a period of time?

We have a child who has been absent for 4 weeks ( including easter hols). Parents don't ring in, we have to ring them and they say he is unwell and don't know when he will be returning.

DO you have a policy of how long you will keep that child's space before reallocating it?

Thank you

[Heidi]

Originally Posted by sarahcentral

What is your policy for a child who is funded if they are absent for a period of time?

We have a child who has been absent for 4 weeks ( including easter hols). Parents don't ring in, we have to ring them and they say he is unwell and don't know when he will be returning.

DO you have a policy of how long you will keep that child's space before reallocating it?

Thank you

Yes, this is covered in our admissions policy. It is also mentioned in an admission letter and a parent contract they sign. The time scale is something your setting can discuss and choose whether you decide on two, three or four weeks. We state that places will only be held open for ..... weeks unless we hear from them. We will also use our discretion i.e. illness or other circumstances. We always check to make sure the child is not at risk.

If this child had to pay would your setting be able to afford to keep their place free if the parents did not pay up?
Do you have a waiting list?
or have you had to turn away a child?
This child is only eligible for vouchers if they are registered and attending on head count day; but how would your local authority look at it, if they audit your figures and find a funded child had not attended for a month or so? What if these four weeks fell around headcount day? Where would your setting/nursery stand?

Have you thought about ringing up your Early Years funding department and explain this to them? They will be able to advise your setting on what you are allowed to claim. It will also let them see that you are claiming correctly, but you can not always forsee everything.

Check out the reasons why this child is not attending and that there are no other reasons they are being kept away. Do you liaise with your Health visitor? They will know all their families and know whether a child is prone to illness or that the mother is needing support and is not motivating herself to leave the house. She may then express that she would hope your setting kept the child's place open a little longer. She will not divulge anything to you, but she will follow it up. In other circumstances that you have a doubt for a child's safety and welfare, you must follow the procedure. Don't let a child leave/stop attending in those circumstances and be allowed to 'disappear'.

In the first instant, ring the parent up and ask what is wrong with her child. Explain the setting needs to know (and record), as some illnesses/conditions are contagious and you want to prevent others catching it unnecessary.
Buy an exercise book add a sticker onto it to keep a record of illnesses. Once you have been using it a while, it'll become an every day practise and parents/carers will start to follow your procedure - add details of this procedure in your newsletter to remind them, put something up on your notice board - part of you policy perhaps, 'bold' enough to be read.

Add into your policies that absences must be notifiable to the setting and illness/condition informed i.e. vomiting etc and also if conditions have been treated i.e. nits, thread worms etc. Add into the policy that if an illness continues into a second week a phone call would be appreciated. You need to close you register and get on with the day - not hanging around, unless of course you have a flexible arrival time.

Even if this does not apply to the current situation, it may help you to add/alter policies to cover possible future eventualities.
I hope this helps.