Per Rule 6M-4.500, If a child has five (5) consecutive days of absences during the child’s regularly scheduled attendance or ten (10) unexplained absences, during a calendar month, with no contact from the parent, the provider shall submit written notification to the local coalition or its designee who in turn shall determine the need for continued care.
Reimbursement shall be authorized for no more than three (3) absences per calendar month per child except in the event of extraordinary circumstances in which case the coalition or its designee shall document approval for payment based on written documentation provided by the parent justifying the excessive absence for an additional ten (10) days. Extraordinary circumstances does not include vacation or recreational time.
Examples of extraordinary circumstances include but are not limited to the following:
- Hospitalization of the child or parent with appropriate documentation (i.e., doctor’s note, hospital admission),
- Illness requiring home-stay as documented (i.e., doctor’s note, parent statement),
- Death in the immediate family with appropriate documentation (i.e., obituary, death certificate, parent statement),
- Court ordered visitation with appropriate documentation (i.e., court order),
- Unforeseen documented military deployment or exercise of the parent(s) (i.e., military orders of deployment, reserve duty),
- Doctor appointments or other health related appointments (i.e., therapy, routine).
(b) Total monthly reimbursed absences shall not exceed thirteen (13) calendar days.
Rilya Wilson Act – Protective Services Absent Reporting Requirements
Per Florida State Statutes If a child covered by this section is absent from the program on a day when he or she is supposed to be present, the person with whom the child resides must report the absence to the program by the end of the business day. If the person with whom the child resides, whether the parent or caregiver, fails to timely report the absence, the absence is considered to be unexcused. The program shall report any unexcused absence or seven consecutive excused absences of a child who is enrolled in the program and covered by this act to the department or the community-based care lead agency by the end of the business day following the unexcused absence or seventh consecutive excused absence.