All Kids Thrive Initiative - Absenteeism Grant (Princeton Area Community Foundation)

All Kids Thrive Initiative - Absenteeism Grant

Award Period: 5 years

Award Date: November 19, 2018

Geographic Scope: Trenton, NJ (Mercer County region)

Recipient: Trenton Health Team in partnership with Trenton Public Schools

Purpose

To identify health conditions as barriers to school attendance and provide appropriate interventions by matching school absentee records with electronic medical records in the Trenton Health Information Exchange (HIE).

Focus Areas

• School absenteeism reduction
• Health-related barriers to school attendance
• Asthma management and home remediation
• Youth health outcomes
• Educational outcomes

Implementation Approach

1. Data Analysis: Match school absentee records with electronic medical records in HIE to identify overlaps between school absenteeism and health conditions
2. Family Engagement: Identify specific students and families where health may be a barrier to regular school attendance
3. Consent-Based Intervention: After obtaining family consent, work with school personnel and partner organizations to provide appropriate interventions
4. Home Remediation: For chronically absent students with asthma, address home conditions (dust, mold, lead contamination) affecting health

Initial Focus Schools

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School
• Luis Munoz Rivera Community Middle School
• Expansion planned to include additional Trenton schools

Partner Organizations

• Trenton Public Schools - school data and coordination
• Isles, Inc. - Healthy Homes service for asthma trigger identification, home safety assessment, family education, resource mobilization for costly issues (mold, moisture, lead-based paint)
• Trenton Health Information Exchange (HIE) - data infrastructure

Community Need

Poor home conditions contribute to illnesses such as asthma, which is a frequent cause for school absence in Trenton.

Program Benefits

• Demonstrates power of cross-sector collaboration
• Leverages sophisticated health data systems
• Identifies health issues among Trenton youth
• Connects youth with needed care and services

About All Kids Thrive Initiative

The Community Foundation's bold new initiative to transform the lives of young people living in poverty, which is among the risk factors for chronic absenteeism. Ten school and nonprofit partnerships in the Mercer County region were awarded 5-year, $300,000 grants. Long-term commitment aims to reduce administrative burdens and allow partnerships to focus on impact.