HCPS succeeds in providing services for students who have specific needs. For example, through McKinney-Vento, students who are eligible may receive transportation to school if feasible for the school. There …show more content…
Due to the economic deprivation in Henrico County, students and families might not be able to electronically access the online resources they need. Although there is an offsite ESL center, there is not an interpreter on site at each school, which makes parent communication difficult. For example, an elementary school student forgot to tell his mother that school was letting out early for a half day. The school social worker said it would be a good idea to call home and be sure there was a family member home to watch him. He lives in a Spanish speaking household and his family members were unable to understand the social worker when she tried to call. There was no staff member who could speak Spanish; however, luckily, she found an intern who spoke Spanish (personal communication, 2017).
In terms of chronic absence, school social workers often work at more than one school, which may cause interventions with students to be inconsistent. As social workers attempt to meet the needs of multiple students, they may become overwhelmed with the amount of work they have to do. Although students eligible for McKinney-Vento services can receive transportation to school, if the location of the student is “not feasible” for the school, then transportation will not be provided. This is an issue that contributes to chronic absence, which can lead to an endless cycle of absences for these