COVID-19 understandably led to a huge jump in student absenteeism. However, even four years later, classroom attendance has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Every missed day of school is a lost opportunity for a child to learn. To address this issue, Olive Crest, an Orange County nonprofit dedicated to preventing child abuse, is working with 20 school districts in Los Angeles and Orange Counties on a unique approach to getting students out of bed and into their school desks.
Nina Frankman, Olive Crest’s director of educational services, leads a team of 50 Olive Crest staff members who carry out a wrap-around approach that gets to the root cause of the absences by monitoring families and observing the child and the parent(s) separately. Is staying up too late playing video games the problem? Skipping breakfast? No matter the cause, the Olive Crest team develops a plan that supports both parents and children in a solution they can stick with going forward.
To highlight this effective program that has helped more than 500 families in its short three-and-a-half year existence, Reveille connected Frankman with KNX News anchor Margaret Carrero. During the interview on the radio, Frankman shared details about this creative approach and an example of a family Olive Crest helped. Through syndication, this story has now reached millions of people.
