OLGT 2021-100: TAFDC: Restart of TAFDC Learnfare Requirements

The TAFDC Learnfare requirement mandates that any child age six (or in first grade, whichever occurs later) through age 15 must attend school regularly. Verification of attendance must be obtained for any child who is subject to the Learnfare requirement. To comply with Learnfare rules, a child may not have more than eight unexcused absences in each quarter. Children who receive benefits under a grantee known to BEACON as having a disability are exempt from Learnfare requirements.

The Learnfare tracking process is largely automated in BEACON through a data exchange with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for children attending public schools.

For children in private, parochial or a home-school program, an automated Learnfare Attendance Report for Schools form is sent to the grantee who must bring this form to the identified school or home school provider to be completed by the appropriate staff person and returned to DTA.

Since March of 2020, due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, all data exchanges with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the automated Learnfare Attendance Report had been suspended. Effective immediately, data exchanges with DESE and the automated generation of Learnfare Attendance Reports will resume. All information provided by DESE prior to March 2020 has been cleared, and any active or pending Learnfare sanctions have been removed.