Edu-Futuro’s newest program was developed in response to the sharp increase of chronic absenteeism among Economically Disadvantaged, English Learner, Hispanic, and other youth when schools reopened after the COVID crisis in 2021. CAP has been such an outstanding success that Edu-Futuro is now working with both Fairfax County and Arlington Public Schools to conduct intensive outreach to hundreds of chronically absent students, with the goal of returning youth to the classroom and reducing dropout rates for some of our region’s most vulnerable populations.

Our outreach efforts often reveal profound stories of adversity and resilience, helping us understand the root causes of chronic absenteeism. For example, in one case, we discovered that a young man was chronically absent because his mother had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy. Our case management staff provided the mother with a variety of support services, while our outreach team worked with the school to enable the student’s successful return to classes. In another case, a young man was missing school because he was helping to take care of a younger brother with autism, who was not in school, and was not receiving any type of treatment or therapy. After Edu-Futuro’s intervention, not only has the older brother returned to school, but his younger brother has also started attending that same school, where he participates in classes equipped to serve students with special needs.  

In far too many other cases, we found that students were chronically absent because they were working nearly full-time to help their families recuperate from the considerable financial consequences of the pandemic. In these cases, we have worked to either provide families with direct support from Edu-Futuro’s Parent Empowerment and Workforce Development Services, or we refer families to appropriate government agencies or other local nonprofits that can meet the needs of both students and their parents. This is the kind of critical, impactful work being done every day by the staff of Edu-Futuro and our Chronic Absenteeism Program.