This series is brought to you by Whirlpool, a brand that's been committed to help in the cycle of chronic absenteeism in schools for nearly a decade.

The problem with chronic absenteeism, there's a lot of issues.

The primary problem is over time, it leads to school failure

and is predictive of school dropout.

It's harder for teachers to teach as this number increases because how do you

plan a lesson who's missed this much time, who's playing catch up? These kids are all over the

place in terms of where they are how do you have a singular lesson it becomes

harder and harder to meet learning goals for school and for a district

Welcome to breaking the Cycle, a special three-part series where we'll explore the complex issue of chronic absenteeism in schools across the US. I'm your host Dr. Jasmine McCoy, a clinical psychologist,

author, parent educator, and mom of three. You might recognize my voice from

the mom psychologist show where I give mental health advice for parents who feel burnt out.

Throughout my eight years as a clinical psychologist, I've worked very closely with children of

multicultural backgrounds in schools, foster care, and juvenile justice centers.

I've witnessed firsthand the toll

that chronic absenteeism can take on kids,

families, and communities across the country.

And as a mom of school-age kids, this issue hits very close to home.

By the end of the series, you'll understand how this issue affects students' social-emotional

learning experience, mental health, and educational path.

But first, let's talk about why chronic absenteeism matters, what typically causes it, and how

Whirlpool is on a mission to break the cycle.

In this episode, we'll chat with developmental science psychologist and researcher Dr Richard

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