Attachment E - Information Memorandum.pdf

Addressing Vacant Slots Due to Chronic
Absenteeism in Head Start Programs
headstart.gov/policy/im/acf-ohs-im-25-06
Addressing Vacant Slots Due to Chronic
Absenteeism in Head Start Programs
ACF-OHS-IM-25-06
U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services
ACF
Administration for Children and Families
1. Log Number: ACF-OHS-IM-25-06
2. Issuance Date: 09/26/2025
3. Originating Office: Office of Head Start
4. Key Words: Vacant Slots; Absenteeism; Enrollment Reporting; Attendance
Information Memorandum
To: All Head Start recipients, including Head Start Preschool, Early Head Start, Early Head Start-Child
Care Partnerships, Collaboration Offices, and National Centers
Subject: Addressing Vacant Slots Due to Chronic Absenteeism in Head Start Programs
Information:
This Information Memorandum (IM) clarifies policy guidance on vacant slots in Head Start programs,
with a focus on vacant slots due to chronic absenteeism. 
Vacancies occur when a child who is enrolled in the program (and has attended previously) no longer
attends for an extended period of time. This empty slot constitutes a missed opportunity for the child who
is not attending a program and a missed opportunity for an eligible child who is waiting for Head Start
services. Programs should work with the family to reinstate attendance or consider the slot vacant and fill
it so the maximum number of eligible children can receive Head Start services.
This IM clarifies when Head Start programs should consider a child’s slot vacant after long-term absences,
underscores the importance of regular attendance, and offers strategies programs can use to enhance access
and participation for children and families. 
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ATTACHMENT E

Clarifying Vacant Slot Requirements
The Head Start Program Performance Standards (Performance Standards), specify that a Head Start
program must maintain its funded enrollment level and fill any open slots as soon as possible and within
30 days (45 CFR §1302.15(a)). This does not supersede any requirements set by a state on the timely
enrollment of children in state funded programs.
The Office of Head Start (OHS) requires a program to report a slot as vacant as soon as the family or
guardian communicates that the child is not returning to the program. The program must consider a slot
vacant after a child has not attended for a maximum of 30 days (which should be counted as 30
consecutive calendar days) and a minimum of three attempts have been made to re-engage the family.
Considering the slot vacant means the child will be unenrolled. This action is not considered expulsion as
described in §1302.17.
If a program has reserved one or more enrollment slots for children and pregnant women experiencing
homelessness or children in foster care, it can hold that slot for 30 days (§1302.15(c)). If a reserved slot is
not filled after 30 days, it becomes vacant and must be filled within 30 days. When filling vacant slots,
programs are expected to refer to their waiting list, which ranks children according to the program’s
selection criteria as outlined in §1302.14(c).
The Performance Standards are also clear that programs must implement strategies to promote attendance,
including using individual child attendance data to identify children with patterns of absence that put them
at risk of missing 10 percent of program days per year. If a child ceases to attend, the program must make
appropriate efforts to reengage the family to resume attendance (§1302.16(a)(3)). Efforts to reengage the
family, at a minimum, include either directly contacting the parent or guardian or conducting a home visit.
Each contact or attempted contact with the family must be documented in the child’s file or in the
program’s record keeping system.
Considerations for Exceptions
The Performance Standards outline an expectation of filling any vacancies as soon as possible and within
30 days (§1302.15(a)), and OHS generally considers a slot to be vacant as soon as a family has confirmed
the child is not returning to the program (or when a child has not attended for a maximum of 30 days), as
described above. However, Head Start programs may develop policies and procedures that allow for
limited exceptions to when a slot is considered to be vacant, as there are some unique circumstances that
may factor into a child’s attendance. Some examples may include: extenuating family circumstances that
require a family to travel out of the service area for more than 30 days, a child with an extended illness or
requiring hospitalization, a family recovering from a disaster, or a family emergency that might hinder a
family’s ability to ensure their child is able to get to the program. Programs must document the rationale
for allowing the exception either in the child’s file or in their record keeping systems.
In extraordinary circumstances, a child may be temporarily suspended from a Head Start program
(§1302.17(a)). A temporary suspension may be used only as a last resort when there is a serious safety
threat that has not been reduced or eliminated by the provision of interventions and supports recommended
by the mental health consultant, and the program needs time to put appropriate services in place. In these
instances, a temporary suspension would not count toward the maximum of 30 days before a slot is
considered vacant. If a temporary suspension is deemed necessary, a program must help the child return to
full participation in all program activities as quickly as possible while ensuring child safety. A program
must explore and document all steps taken to address the behavior(s) and supports needed to facilitate the
child’s safe reentry and continued participation in the program as outlined in §1302.17(a)(4).
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If a program unenrolls a child due to chronic absenteeism, OHS encourages programs to allow the family
to re-enroll upon return if there is a vacancy to accommodate them. If a program can no longer
accommodate the family, it should place the child to the waitlist and help them identify an alternative care
arrangement.
Enrollment Reporting Reminders
All Head Start programs must report their monthly enrollment in the Head Start Enterprise System (HSES)
by Head Start Preschool and/or Early Head Start program within each grant (641A(h)(2)). Together, the
following categories make up the total enrolled slots for the month: filled slots, reserved slots, and slots
vacant for less than 30 days. Programs can make edits to reported monthly enrollment until a new
reporting period opens.
For the purposes of enrollment reporting, a slot that is vacant for less than 30 days is counted toward a
program’s enrolled slots. Programs may report any slots that were vacant for less than 30 days as enrolled
for the month. This allows the programs an opportunity to enroll another family. After 30 days, the slots
can no longer be counted as enrolled slots (§1302.15(a)). At the beginning of the program year, all unfilled
slots are considered vacant, unless they are reserved, and must be filled as soon as possible.
Importance of Attendance and Preventing Chronic Absenteeism
In Head Start programs, chronic absenteeism means missing 10 percent of program days per year. Chronic
absenteeism, even among children in preschool and kindergarten, has been shown to be related to future
chronic absenteeism, grade retention, and poor academic achievement.1
Children living in poverty are two to three times more likely to be chronically absent from school. Chronic
absenteeism can have disproportionately negative impacts on children living in poverty because their
families often lack access to resources needed to make up for the lost learning.2 Establishing a pattern of
consistent attendance enhances children’s cognitive development, social skills, and long-term educational
success.
Strategies to Enhance Program Access and Participation for Children and Families
Head Start programs are required to implement strategies to promote attendance (§1302.16(a)(2)). Here are
a few strategies programs can use to address chronic absenteeism and boost regular attendance:
Building relationships with families to improve communication.
Program leadership should promote regular attendance by consistently sending the message
that regular attendance is important for children’s success. Child and family services staff
should reinforce this message by highlighting attendance during parent-teacher conferences
and other engagement opportunities, and discussing the benefits of regular attendance with
families.
Programs should ensure that all staff can build trusting relationships with families.
These relationships are the foundation for understanding any challenges a family and
child may be facing. As part of these ongoing relationships, staff can have regular
conversations with families about the value and benefits of attendance as well as
problem solve about specific family circumstances that may be adversely affecting child
attendance.
Programs can engage in community partnerships that support child and family wellbeing and
promote child attendance. Health and mental health providers, family support services, housing
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organizations, and child care providers with extended days supports can all help programs to
promote family and child wellness, stability, and child attendance.
Programs must track attendance for every child. Programs must also examine barriers to regular
attendance, such as access to safe and reliable transportation, and where possible, provide or
facilitate transportation for the child if needed (§1302.16(a)(2)(v)).
Programs must regularly review and analyze individual child-attendance data to identify trends and
patterns in absences and develop targeted supports for families. If a program’s monthly average
daily attendance rate falls below 85 percent, the program must analyze the causes of absenteeism to
identify any systematic issues that contribute to the program’s absentee rate (§1302.16(b)).
Programs should use health data to identify trends in children’s absences that are related to health
and implement strategies that improve attendance. They can help improve attendance using policies
and procedures that promote health, reduce the spread of illness, and prevent injury. Programs
should individualize supports for each family when absences are related to health, and provide
education and resources for family members to prevent illness and injury and identify when a child
is sick and needs treatment.
Programs must use a multidisciplinary approach that facilitates coordination and collaboration
between mental health and other relevant program services, including as education, disability, family
engagement, and health services. A multidisciplinary approach, including mental health consultants,
can help programs identify why there may be chronic absenteeism and support children and families
to attain regular attendance.
Thank you for the work you do on behalf of children and families.
Sincerely,
/ Tala Q. Hooban /
Tala Q. Hooban
CAPT, U.S. Public Health Service
Acting Director
Office of Head Start
Resources:
ERSEA [Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment and Attendance] Insights
Addressing Barriers that Limit Attendance
Health Services to Promote Attendance
Eligibility Resources
Enrollment: Creating Systems for Filling Every Seat
Making Enrollment Accessible to Families
1 https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/school-health/school-attendance
2 https://www.attendanceworks.org/chronic-absence/the-problem/
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