Heading back to school can be a time of excitement and anticipation for many young people in our communities. The thrill of learning new subjects, joining after school activities, and making new friends are some of the most cherished memories of childhood. However, for some, returning to school can bring increased uncertainty and anxiety, often resulting in absences. At Valley Youth House, our dedicated case workers, case managers, and counselors are here to guide these young people through their school journey, offering support from the first day to graduation.

Recently, Kyle Borowski, Child Welfare & Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program Supervisor at Valley Youth House, spoke with Theresa O’Brien at Lehigh Valley Press about the school-based support programs we offer for youth, including our Truancy Intervention Program (also known as the Attendance Support Counseling program). 

The Allentown School District and Whitehall-Coplay School District have contracted with Valley Youth House to provide attendance support services. “Most of our students are elementary school aged, but we do get some middle and high school students,” said Kyle. “Our caseworkers help connect families to resources, and can also help with some tutoring and learning support services,” he added.

We understand that chronic absenteeism is often fueled by unmet needs at home or social and emotional difficulties. That’s why our programs aim to support not only students, but also their entire families, by connecting them with resources and solutions to better address their needs. “Counseling provided at school is just the student,” said Borowski. “With any one-on-one therapy, the student goes home to a family system that is not being supported to make changes, so they’re trying to navigate it on their own.” Our programs are family-based and take place outside of school, helping to mitigate these types of problems. 

Our case workers also help students navigate social and emotional issues that can impact their school attendance. “One of the top reasons for truancy is the perception of school as an unsupported environment,” explains Borowski. “We have kids who say, ‘I can’t learn,” when what they need is help learning. Or they say, ‘I can’t solve problems with my peers,’ when what they need is help building that skill.”

Our case workers also work with young people who are having a difficult time navigating social situations. “Part of what we do is helping folks realize that things are difficult, but not necessarily bad or unwanted,” said Borowski. “So encouraging a student to sit down with a school counselor or have a mediation with a peer may not be easy, but the benefits could be incredible.”

Success in our attendance support programs can look different for every student and every family, but in a lot of cases, “it comes down to helping the family find new ways to meet their needs,” said Borowski, whether that’s helping them set up SNAP benefits, rental assistance, or child care assistance. “When those concrete needs are met, parents’ stress levels go down, and they are able to turn to their child and say, ‘Time for homework, time for bed, time to go to school.’”

And while programs like voluntary truancy intervention and attendance support can sometimes be a “hard sell” for families, engagement has been on the rise, with participation increasing from 20% of referred families in recent years to nearly 40% this year.

“Education is an investment in the future, and it’s hard to invest in the future when you’re trying to just make it through your day. It’s true for students, and it’s true for their families. TIP works to help families move from surviving to thriving, so they can focus on supporting their students before, during, and after school,” Kyle concluded.