Truancy Prevention Protocol

Upon receiving a referral for a child in danger of becoming truant, the Attendance Support Team (AST) shall initiate the following steps:  

# of unexcused absences

3

5

7

10

Intervention action

Infinite Campus Call-Out

Mail and/or email letter to parents

Schedule mandatory conference with School Social Worker or AST.  Mail attendance conference letter. Parent attends conference and signs letter.  At the discretion of the AST, the child may also be required to attend the conference. 

Initiate legal action to resolve truancy.  Social worker may initiate any or all of the following actions :

a.       Contact the parent for a second attendance conference;

b.       Refer matter to District attorney’s office to initiate an action in Juvenile Court alleging the child to be a child in need of services (CHINS);

c.       File a complaint in Juvenile Court alleging the child to be in need of services.

d.       Refer the matter to the Department of Family and Children’s services for an investigation of possible educational neglect.

e.       File a complaint in Juvenile Court alleging the child to be a dependent child for reasons of parental inability to ensure the child attends school and for educational neglect.

f.        Refer matter to District Attorney’s Office to request that a criminal action be initiated in State Court alleging the parent to have violated Georgia’s mandatory school attendance law