It’s been a year since twelve Minnesota school districts began piloting inventive strategies to address student absenteeism before it escalates into a child welfare issue. Under current state law, just seven unexcused absences trigger a required referral to child protective services (CPS), potentially branding parents with “educational neglect.”
In Mankato, educators, counselors, and a newly appointed family engagement specialist now convene at the earliest signs of attendance issues to connect with families and provide supportive outreach—far from the abrupt CPS intervention of old. In Windom, the presence of an “attendance coordinator” offers an even more direct method: pre-arranged home visits that sidestep the anxiety associated with random CPS calls.
This statewide pilot initiative centers around proactive, relationship-based interventions. A key strategy across the participating districts is the deployment of a caring adult—often through mentorship programs—in each school building to help identify absences early and build trust.
The results are already promising. In Mankato Area Public Schools, educational neglect reports dropped from 32 to 20 in just one year—a 38% decline—thanks to the combination of early outreach, improved communication, and nearly $400,000 in state funding.
While educational neglect reports represent a small fraction of all child welfare investigations (making up about 8% of the total), these referrals often initiate critical services for families in need. Yet, they may also expose families—particularly in communities of color—to additional scrutiny. A 2020 data point reveals children of color made up roughly 70% of educational neglect reports, despite comprising 36% of Minnesota’s student population.
Experts emphasize that schools are often better positioned than CPS to determine what support families truly need—and to address root causes—before the situation becomes a welfare case.