#131 Every School Day Matters: Supporting Attendance

On this week’s HSE Talking Health and Wellbeing Podcast, host Noreen Turley explores Every School Day Matters: Supporting Attendance with Áine O’Keeffe, National Lead, Tusla Wellbeing Project and Director of TESS, and Dr Abigail Collins, National Clinical Lead, Child Health Public Health / National Healthy Childhood Programme (NHCP). Áine explains why we all have a role in promoting regular school attendance and reducing absenteeism, highlighting that missed days add up and children can miss out on learning, friendships and development when they are not in school.   Together, they focus on practical supports that can help children and young people attend as consistently as possible, and what families can do when health issues, anxiety or other pressures get in the way. They highlight the value of early, open communication with the school and staying connected, so families feel supported rather than judged when attendance becomes difficult. Abbie encourages parents to trust their judgement about when their child is well enough to attend, particularly when managing chronic conditions, and to link in with the school so the right supports can be put in place. They discuss how routine can reduce anxiety, and how consistent morning, sleep and school-day routines can make attendance feel more manageable over time.   SCPTusla - Child and Family Agency https://www.tusla.ie/tess/scp/   mychild.ie https://www2.hse.ie/my-child/   Knowing if your child is well enough to go to school or childcare https://www2.hse.ie/babies-children/parenting-advice/caring-for-a-child/knowing-if-your-child-is-well-enough-to-go-to-school-or-childcare/   Produced by GK Media.ie