Kids Only, Inc. Attendance and Participation Policy
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the needs of young children and their families are being met. To accomplish this goal, families and providers need to accept responsibility for providing consistent services.
A teamwork approach is necessary to maximize your child’s development. Parents and caregivers are invited and expected to participate in your child’s therapy session. If your child’s therapy occurs at daycare or with someone other than the parent/guardian, (i.e. babysitter), First Steps requires you to meet with your provider on a regular basis. Your provider will work with you to set a mutually agreed upon time to meet. Failure to meet with the therapist will be reported to your Service Coordinator and may place services in jeopardy. Occasional absences do occur throughout the year. When this happens, providers will make every effort to re-schedule the appointment.
PLEASE BE SURE TO PUT YOUR THERAPIST’S CONTACT INFORMATION IN YOUR PHONE.
IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT YOU RESPOND TO PHONE CALLS/TEXTS FROM YOUR THERAPIST IN A TIMELY MANNER.
It is recommended that you enter a reminder in your phone for scheduled therapy appointments to ensure attendance.
Our providers are expected to offer high quality services to you and your child. If a provider has frequent cancellations, tardiness, or is unwilling to work with you to establish the required family/provider meeting as stated above, please contact the Agency Director.
Parent/Guardian Responsibilities:
1. Parents/guardians must be responsive to provider attempts to schedule appointments. Failure to respond to 4 or more provider attempts to schedule will be reported to the Service Coordinator, and your child’s services may be in jeopardy.
2. If you find that the scheduled appointment time no longer fits your family’s daily routine, please speak with the provider to arrange a more suitable time. If the provider is unable to accommodate your request, the agency will assign a new provider to work with your family.
3. To keep our families healthy, you are required to notify your provider(s) of any contagious or infectious disease in your home prior to the provider’s arrival. These include but are not limited to; MRSA, pink eye, strep, hand/foot/mouth, COVID 19, etc.
4. Prior to the provider’s arrival at your home, parents/guardians are required to notify the provider(s) of any infestations including but not limited to; bedbugs, lice, fleas, etc. The agency reserves the right to provide services in an alternate location as needed until which time the parent/guardian can provide documentation that the home has been treated and is free of the infestation. Proof of professional treatment or documentation from the County Health Department is required for services to resume in a home infested with bedbugs.
5. Sometimes it is necessary to cancel appointments due to illness, etc. If this should happen, please cancel 3 hours (or more) in advance of the scheduled time. If two or more consecutive visits or two visits within a six-week period are cancelled, this will be considered a “frequent cancellation” and falls under the same policy as no shows outlined below. Prescheduled doctor’s appointments, family vacations, etc. are exempt.
6. A “no show” occurs when one of the parties involved does not cancel the appointment more than 3 hours in advance. After a “no show”, the provider will attempt to contact you to verify the next scheduled appointment. Failure to respond to the provider within 5 days may result in suspension of services.
7. If the family has two consecutive “no shows”/”frequent cancellations” or two “no shows”/”frequent cancellations” within a six-week period, the Service Coordinator will be notified that services are in jeopardy.
8. Following a third occurrence of “no show”/”frequent cancellation” within the same six-week period, the family will receive written notification and be asked to contact the agency within 10 days to discuss their participation in therapy. At this time, services will be suspended pending communication from the family. Please be advised that should therapy resume, you may be assigned a different provider.
9. A lack of response from the parent/guardian will be reported to the Service Coordinator at which point the First Steps office will make a determination on the continuation of services.
10. If attendance does not improve following the written notice, services may be discontinued.