By Michele Hong After over 18 years of supporting chronically absent students and families in Baltimore City and across Maryland, the Truancy Court Program (TCP) has changed its name! Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, what was once known as the TCP is now the Tackling Chronic Absenteeism Project (TCAP). Despite the new moniker, the program…
By Michele Hong, CFCC Interim Executive Director Since 2005, CFCC has been operating a Truancy Court Program (TCP) in public schools in Baltimore City and several surrounding districts. Our program takes a holistic view of the many stressors on families that can lead to truancy and prevent students from thriving in school. In the past…
With COVID-19 safety protocols in place, CFCC’s Truancy Court Program (TCP) Team returned to Baltimore City Public Schools this year, continuing our work to get school attendance back on track after a long period of virtual learning. The TCP is operating in five Baltimore City schools this fall: Furley Elementary School, Mt. Royal Elementary/Middle School, Baltimore…
COVID-19 and the subsequent transition to distance learning across Baltimore City has created one of the most extreme and pervasive barriers to school attendance ever confronted by CFCC’s Truancy Court Program (TCP) Team. Without the ability to meet in person with students and families, the team has pivoted to virtual assistance and support. In recognition of the…
By Katherine S. Davis As I spread out the books on the desks for the 5th graders to look over during CFCC’s Truancy Court Program (TCP) session, I was sure of one thing – before I got very far, Malik* would be by my side eagerly looking for a new book to take home. This slight-framed,…
In 2020, the Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC) celebrates two important milestones: the 20th anniversary of the founding of CFCC and the 15th anniversary of the Center’s largest community-based program, the Truancy Court Program. If you would like to follow this year-long celebration of CFCC’s impact and receive updates on…
By Erin Kay, CFCC Student Fellow (2019-2020) In the Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC) Truancy Court Program (TCP), we cater to students from all over Baltimore City in a wide range of grade levels. Every school has a group of students who the school administrators believe can benefit…
By Laura Opont, CFCC Student Fellow (2019-2020) Healing Circles are a restorative practice used in the Truancy Court Program (TCP). Restorative practices have existed for decades and courts started incorporating them in the 1970s to facilitate mediation between victims and their offenders. Restorative practices have spread throughout North America and Europe and have roots in…
By Caylee Henderson, CFCC Student Fellow 2019-2020 I walked up the large staircase and through the glass front doors of Baltimore Design School’s lobby. The walls were filled with students’ projects and artwork. You could feel the creativity and inspiration, as if they were vibrating through the hallways. I was filled with excitement to be…