Your child is expected to attend their childcare program regularly. Life happens — kids get sick, families take vacations, emergencies come up. The system allows for absences, but there are limits. Understanding these limits can prevent you from accidentally losing your voucher.

The Two Types of Absences

Explained Absences

Days your child doesn't attend for a valid reason. These include:

• Child illness
• Death in the family
• Emergency circumstances
• Religious holidays
• Vacation days

You can have up to 45 explained absences in a 12-month authorization period (or 15 during a 12-week provisional authorization) before it becomes a problem.

Unexplained Absences

Days your child doesn't attend with no valid reason given. Unexplained absences can lead to possible termination of your childcare assistance.

The Critical Number: 30 Consecutive Days

If your child does not attend for 30 or more consecutive unexplained days, a two-week termination notice may be issued on the 31st day. Similarly, if your child accumulates 45 non-attended days (including unexplained absences), a notice may be issued on the 46th day.

Critical distinction: These termination notices apply to your child's placement at that specific provider — not to your authorization. Your 12-month authorization remains valid even if a placement is terminated for non-attendance. You can set up a new placement with a different provider (or the same one) without going back on the waitlist, as long as your authorization is still active.

This is different from how the system used to work, and it's important: losing a placement is not the same as losing your voucher.

Approved Break in Care

If you need your child to take an extended break from care — for example, a long family trip, a medical situation, or a temporary change in your circumstances — you can request an approved break in care:

• Submit the request in writing to your CCR&R
• An approved break can last up to 90 consecutive days
• During an approved break, your placement is put on inactive status — you don't lose your voucher
• You must request this during your 12-month authorization period

An approved break protects your placement from the absence-based termination notices described above.

Important: Under current policy, your 12-month authorization remains valid for its full duration regardless of whether an active placement is attached. This means that even if you don't request a formal break in care, your authorization survives. However, requesting an approved break is still good practice because it protects your placement — the specific slot at your specific provider — from being terminated for non-attendance. This does not apply to provisional (Seeking Approved Activity) authorizations, which still require an active or planned placement.

What to Do About Absences

Situation	What to do
Your child is sick for a few days	Notify your provider. This is a normal explained absence.
You're going on vacation for a week	Notify your provider. This counts as explained absence days.
Your child will be out for 2+ weeks	Notify both your provider and your CCR&R. Consider requesting an approved break in care if it might approach 30 days.
Your child hasn't attended in 3+ weeks	Contact your CCR&R immediately to request an approved break in care before hitting the 30-day mark.
Your child has been absent 40+ days this year	Be aware you're approaching the 45-day limit for explained absences. Talk to your CCR&R.

A Note About Provider Attendance Policies

EEC sets the baseline attendance rules described here, but individual providers may have their own attendance policies on top of these. A provider can terminate your child's placement for violating their policies, even if you haven't violated an EEC rule. Ask your provider about their specific policies when you enroll.

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Next Steps

• Need to request a break in care? Contact your CCR&R in writing
• Worried about termination? See Your Voucher Was Terminated (1.19)
• Switching providers? See Switching Providers (1.7) — attendance during transitions matters
• Are you a provider with attendance questions? See Attendance Tracking (2.7)