totally OT question - truancy?

Here a school resource officer would get involved. Sad situation! :( sounds like the mom had 4 kids too many. 

I am in Michigan, and am a teacher.  I know here, that the local prosecutors office works with the local law enforcement to enforce truancy laws.  CPS also gets involved at times.  A minimum number of days absent has to be documented before the law gets involved.  I have a number of family members and friends who home school, and don't have an issue with that if the children are learning.  I do have concerns about the children who aren't in school, and aren't being taught at home--if it's a matter of neglect.  I'm glad you are looking out for those children as it seems someone needs to be.  I agree that school secretaries can be a wealth of information.  You might also try a school guidance counselor.  Please keep trying.

Budget cuts have severely limited the number of truancy officers that exist.  

I would call the individual schools first, as they are the ones recording the absences.  If that didn't work, I'd call the local police dept. 

They wouldn't be considered absent if they've never been enrolled.  It sounds like they are "off the grid".

Ah, very true Kim.  My bad for missing that crucial piece of information.

Why not just go directly to her and tell her your concern before trying to get everyone else involved. You have no idea what is going on. Maybe if she sees your concern she will either explain better or do what she is suppose to do. 

I just went and talked to her.

She said she went to enroll the four kids and she does not have a birth certificate for one of the four.  She was told by the secretary that she could not enroll any of them without that birth certificate.  Not even the three she has birth certificates for.

Today she called and spoke to the superintendent, who told her the secretary was incorrect (of course) and she can enroll the other three she does have birth certificates for.

She has to wait until her husband gets paid tomorrow so she has the $26 to get the birth certificate for the fourth child.  However, the county health department is not open on Fridays so she will not actually be able to get the birth certificate until Monday.  But three of the four kids should be in school tomorrow, and the fourth can start Monday after they get the birth certificate. 

I asked if she needed help getting the birth certificate, if she needed a ride to get it or anything and she said no, she can take care of it.

Thanks for the suggestions.  I think these are great kids but I worry about them sometimes.

Thank you Kelly for not ignoring the issue and speaking directly to the parent.  So many people would have stayed silent, thinking it was "none of their business." 

I was worried mom would think it was none of my business and be offended but she didn't seem to be.

What I think is that she's a young mom with four kids that is doing the best she can under very difficult cir****tances.  I know the family doesn't have much money.  I know (because one of the kids told me) mom is recovering from a drug problem and she goes to a drug treatment program several days a week.  I don't know the mom that well, but from what I know, she mostly seems like a good mom to me.  I think I would be overwhelmed with four kids at my age, and she is quite a bit younger than me. 

I don't want to "get her in trouble" but I want the kids to go to school.  They need to be in school and I don't want them to get too far behind and then have trouble catching up.  When the kids said something to me about needing a birth certificate, I suspected mom might not be able to afford to get it.

We are so quick as a society to judge how people parent their children, yet not so willing to offer help.  You are right, the longer they are out of school, the further behind they will fall.  High absenteeism coupled with poverty and young parents, and you have a scenario that often leads to disengagement and the continuation of poverty.