Annual USDA Training
for Head Start Staff
Module Three
Attendance Codes
Meal codes
Sign-In/Sign-Out Forms
We must record:
• Daily attendance
• Accurate meal attendance
• Arrival and departure times
Daily Attendance and Meals Worksheet,
and the Sign-in/Sign-out form
These ChildPlus forms are:
• sent via email
• sent weekly at the beginning of the year
• sent monthly later on
• Please use the most up to date version.
• Shred unused and outdated forms.
Attendance Codes
• P= Present
• A= Absent
• NS= Not scheduled*
*Prior approval required
to use NS.
Please use
a BLUE ink pen!
• NS used for a child’s
unusual absence
situation. Coach takes
request to Cindy Buss.
• Our goal is to help
parents understand the
impact regular
attendance has on
school success.
What if a child is at the center for a
very short time?
• Mark “P” no matter
how short the time.
• Even if it’s only a
minute!
If a child is absent
• Use the following codes to indicate why. It gives
us information when we check on why a child or
classroom has a poor attendance percentage.
• You will have a paper copy of these codes.
• Some classrooms keep it on the same clipboard
as the attendance form, for easy reference.
Absence Codes
1 Ill
7
No one home/no contact
2
3
4
5
8
9
10
11
Forgot
Left area/no notice
No Transportation
Needs Family Services
Missed Bus
Out of Town
Overslept
Dr/Dental Appointment
6 Funeral
12 Other
Ex: child absent due to missing the bus:
Jack Black
A-2
Meal Counts
Meal attendance MUST be indicated
“While participants are seated at the table.”
This is known as “Point of Service.”
In other words, meal attendance may
NOT be marked before or after the meal.
Indicating Meal Attendance
In addition to “P” (any amount of time a child is
present), mark the appropriate meal:
B = Breakfast
L = Lunch
S = Snack
Disregard the meal designation
instructions at the top of the ChildPlus form!
Double check numbers
After attendance is taken at each meal
and snack:
please take a moment to count kids
and then compare that count to the
marked attendance to ensure that the
marked attendance is accurate.
Adult Meal Count
Indicate adult Breakfast and Lunch attendance
each day at the top of the same form, next to:
“Non-Part CACFP”
Ex:
Non-Part CACFP
B4, L3
Attendance form with attendance,
meal codes, and adult meals indicated
Sign-in/Sign-out form
• Recording of arrival and departure times is
required by the Child and Adult Care Food
Program.
• Signatures are required if a parent drops off
the child or picks them up.
Sign-in/Sign-out form
• We use a ChildPlus form for this too.
• It will be emailed at the same time as the
attendance form.
Sign-in/Sign-out form
• Staff may complete the form if a parent did
not sign in or out.
• If children are bussed, staff writes in (only one
time) bus time-in and time-out.
Sign-in/Sign-out form
What to do with these forms???
1) At the end of the week, fax attendance form only to
231-922-0595
2) Make copies for your file
3) Then mail original (written on) attendance and
sign-in/sign-out, stapled together, to:
NMCAA
Jane Nihiser
3241 Racquet Club Dr.
Traverse City, MI 49684
More things to know…
• Take a minute to date forms correctly 
• A Change of Status form must be sent to Michelle
Karns for children who drop from the program.
• Use “A” when a child’s name still appears on the
attendance sheet but they have dropped.
and more…
• You may write in a new child’s name on the
bottom of the form.
• Indicate the reason for a center closure –
snow day, power outage, and so on.
• Attendance and Sign-in/Sign-out forms can be
used through the week even if a new month
starts in the middle of the week.
and a wee bit more.
• Call Susan Duke-Tyler, Kris Krouse, or Jane
Nihiser with questions regarding these forms.
• Susan 231-346-2122
• Kris 231-346-2116
• Jane 231-346-2175
We like questions 
And reminders!
• Use BLUE ink
• Staple the forms together for mailing
Thank you!