Pupil Services

What is CHIP?

The Children's Health Insurance Program — or CHIP — CHIP (Spanish) is Pennsylvania's program to provide health coverage to uninsured children and teens who are not eligible for or enrolled in Medical Assistance. Regardless of the reasons your children might not have health insurance, CHIP may be able to help you. 

The flyer and many more resources can be found on the CHIP website at www.CHIPcoversPAkids.com.

DCIU Family & Community Engagement

What is it? We work together to make sure children with special needs get the support they deserve.

25-26 LTF Meeting Schedule with Zoom Links

Email to Join or Suggest a Topic

The Local Task Force (LTF):

• Helps parents and schools work as a team
• Shares helpful information and resources
• Speaks up for students with special needs
• Gives feedback to improve programs and services

Who Can Join?

• Parents and caregivers
• School staff
• Community members
• Anyone who cares about helping kids with special needs

Meetings are Free!

• Held five times during the school year
• Open to the public
• Include updates, trainings, and helpful discussions
• Presentation topics are chosen by members. Your ideas are welcome!

School Districts Invited to Join the Task Force

Families from the following districts and charter schools are welcome:

• Chester Community Charter School
• Chester Upland
• Chichester
• Garnet Valley
• Haverford Township
• Interboro
• Marple Newtown
• Penn-Delco
• Radnor Township
• Ridley
• Rose Tree Media
• Springfield
• Wallingford-Swarthmore
• William Penn

Enrollment Update - January 5, 2023 School Board Presentation 

• Mr. David Parker, Pupil Services Supervisor

Demographic Analysis and Enrollment Projection - June 17, 2021 School Board Presentation 

• Montgomery Educational Consultants
• Reason for the study: District is showing continual enrollment growth and can plan for future capacity needs
• Project Goal: Develop a demographic and enrollment study

Homebound instruction is provided to students who are unable to attend school due to a short-term medical or psychiatric illness. While hospitalized, the homebound instruction is typically provided through the hospital. During extended recovery, a homebound teacher will provide instruction in the home. 

Homebound services are authorized for up to 5 hours per week and may not exceed 12 weeks or extend beyond the school year without approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Title 22 Part I Chapter 11sec. 11.25 Temporary excusals due to illness or other urgent reasons:

Upon receipt of satisfactory evidence of medical, physical, or other urgent reasons, a child may be excused for nonattendance during a temporary period, but the term "urgent reasons" shall be strictly construed and shall not permit irregular attendance... Temporary excusals shall not exceed three months. 

If your child's illness is expected to exceed three months, an extension may be requested upon receipt of an updated doctor's certification.

The student should be involved with the physician or psychiatrist on a continuing basis for treatment, which includes planning to re-involve the student in school.

To request homebound instruction, please contact your child's counselor.

• A form will be provided for completion by your child's doctor. Upon completion and approval, the district will engage certified teachers for instruction in each required content area
• A parent or guardian may be required to be present in the home during the instruction

Homebound instruction is coordinated through your child's school counselor and the Office of Pupil Services.

Additional information may be obtained by contacting David Parker at 610-893-5900 X 7234.

If a child's disability is expected to be long-term, your child may be referred for an evaluation for services under the Individuals with Disability Education Act.

McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001

On July 22, 1987, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act became public law. This was the first comprehensive federal law dealing with the problems of homelessness in America. Recently included in the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, it is now called the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001.

The Education for Homeless Children and Youths (EHCY) program, authorized under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (McKinney-Vento Act), is designed to address the needs of homeless children and youths and ensure educational rights and protections for these children and youths. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) amended the McKinney-Vento Act, and changes made by the ESSA will take effect on October 1, 2016.

Please use the links below for additional resources and information from the Pennsylvania Department of Education:

• PDE Homeless Education - Pennsylvania's Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (Pennsylvania ECYEH) Program was established to make sure homeless youth have access to a free and appropriate public education while removing barriers that homeless children face. Its goal is to have the educational process continue as uninterrupted as possible while the children are in homeless situations. Some of the other main objectives of Pennsylvania's Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program are to inform local school districts of their responsibilities to homeless children and youth, to increase awareness about the needs of homeless children, explain current laws and policies, and provide practical tips for working with homeless children.

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Please use the links below for additional resources and information: 

Pennsylvania’s Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program (Pennsylvania Department of Education)

January 2024 Resource Guide to Homeless Services

Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH) 2018-19 

A General Guide to Pennsylvania’s Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH) Program

What You Should Know About Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness: A Guide to Pennsylvania’s Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH) Program

Survival Guide to Homeless Services in Delaware County

Homeless Services Coalition (HSC) of Delaware County

Do you or your children have health insurance through Pennsylvania Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)? If so, here’s what you need to know. Be on the lookout for a renewal letter in the mail from the Pennsylvania Medicaid office. To ensure you receive this critical piece of mail: make sure your address, email, and phone number are up to date with the Pennsylvania Medicaid Office. 

This renewal letter will tell you one of three things: 

• PA Medicaid office is renewing your Medicaid or CHIP coverage, or 

• PA Medicaid is ending your Medicaid or CHIP coverage, or 

• PA Medicaid needs more information to determine if you or your family member still qualify for Medicaid or CHIP. If so, a renewal form will be included. 

Remember: Update your address. We don’t want you to miss this important piece of mail. 

To update your contact information or get questions answered about your Medicaid/CHIP coverage, visit https://www.dhs.pa.gov/Services/Assistance/Pages/Medical-Assistance.aspx or call 1-866-550-4355. 

 No longer qualify for Medicaid or CHIP and need help enrolling in the Marketplace? 

Contact information for community-based organizations in states with a federally facilitated marketplace https://www.cms.gov/files/document/2022-navigator-grant-recipients.pdf

• For states with a state-based marketplace, link to https://localhelp.healthcare.gov/.

REMINDERS: 

Make sure your address is up to date with the Pennsylvania Medicaid office so you receive your renewal letter in the mail.
Link: PA Medicaid Office

What is School-Based ACCESS?

The School-Based ACCESS Program (SBAP) is a partnership between the PA Department of Education (PDE) and the PA Department of Public Welfare (DPW). School entities allowed to enroll as SBAP providers include Pennsylvania school districts, intermediate units, state-owned schools, approved private schools, and charter schools.

The School-Based ACCESS Program, or SBAP, allows Pennsylvania Local Education Agencies, or LEAs, to receive federal Medicaid reimbursement for providing IEP health-related services to Medical Assistance-eligible children as part of their Individualized Education Program (IEP). All funds received are used to support the special education program and services in the School District of Haverford Township.

SBAP is a cooperative effort between the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW), the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and PDE's contractor. 
Reimbursable services include:

There are many advantages to enrolling children in Medical Assistance, besides the obvious Medical Assistance pays for wrap-around mental health services and other types of services that are not routinely covered by private insurance. Some families will not qualify for Medical Assistance or Social Security Income because the family income exceeds program limits.

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO SEE IF YOUR CHILD QUALIFIES AND APPLY ONLINE!

http://www.compass.state.pa.us/

Mental Health Resource Guide (Updated 10/4/24)

*This booklet contains a list of various local mental resources and is intended to be used only as a guide. Please refer to the sections of the guide entitled, “Find Help and Treatment” from the Commonwealth of PA, for additional information about how to locate and connect with mental health services in the area.

Disclaimer: This information is provided as a resource to the community only. The School District of Haverford Township does not endorse nor recommend any specific agency, service, or support. The School District is not financially responsible if a community member should elect to engage any agency, services or supports.

Anxiety Resources 

PA Parent and Family Alliance: Talk About Suicide

Prevent Suicide PA

Virtual Calming Room

The School District of Haverford Township works collaboratively with our community’s nonpublic schools and with families who choose to send their children to nonpublic schools.  Under Equitable Participation (EP), Haverford families may contact the District to request an educational evaluation for the purpose of determining whether or not the student qualifies for special education services. 

Haverford families who wish to pursue educational evaluations for special education determinations should first complete student registration to verify their residency within the District.  Families are not required to enroll students in order to obtain an educational evaluation for special education purposes, but we do ask families to complete registration first to ensure resources are reserved for Haverford residents.  Once registration is complete, and a written request for an evaluation has been received, a representative from Pupil Services will contact you to explain the evaluation process. 

Haverford families who wish to obtain psychological testing for any purpose other than determining eligibility for special education services must contact the Delaware County Intermediate Unit (DCIU) as all auxiliary services for nonpublic schools is the responsibility of the DCIU, per Act 89. 

DCIU Office of Equitable Participation

MCIU Office of Equitable Participation

Contact: Brittany Lourea-Waddell, Director, Student Services 610-755-9433

bwaddell@mciu.org

Jennifer Buckley
Lynnewood Elementary School 
JBuckley@haverfordsd.net

Alison Fell, MS, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Coopertown Elementary School
afell@haverfordsd.net

Kristina Frick COTA/L
Haverford Middle School
Kfrick@haverfordsd.net

Petra Ludewig, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Chestnutwold Elementary, Chatham Park Elementary School
pludewig@haverfordsd.net

The speech and language department provides services to all students from kindergarten through grade 12. These services include assessments, in the forms of screenings and full speech and language evaluations, direct therapy services using a variety of therapy models, and participation on building-level child study teams.  Speech and Language Therapists consult and collaborate with teachers and/or other related service providers for purposes of delivering instruction for students with speech/language impairments.

Therapy services are provided for students who demonstrate a need in one or more areas of communication:

1. Articulation therapy is provided for students when sound errors, in their speech, affect the ability to communicate within the classroom.

2. Language therapy is provided for students whose language skills have an affect upon their communication within the academic curriculum. These areas include syntax or sentence structure, semantics or vocabulary skills, and/or pragmatics or language usage.

3. Fluency therapy is provided for students when stuttering affects their ability to communicate within the classroom.

4. Voice therapy is provided for students who have been diagnosed with an organic or functional voice disorder that is affecting the student's ability to communicate within the classroom.

Teachers/therapists, parents, and in the case of middle and high school, students form the team that will decide the need for speech and language services. This team will gather information to decide the extent student's communication skills are affecting their performance within the classroom.

According to the Center for Disease Control, suicide is the third leading cause of death among children age 10-24. 

Risk factors:

• History of previous suicide attempts
• A family history of suicide
• History of depression or other mental illness
• Alcohol or drug abuse
• Stressful life event or loss
• Easy access to lethal methods
• Exposure to the suicidal behavior of others
• Incarceration

Most people are uncomfortable with the topic of suicide. Too often, victims are blamed, and their families and friends are left stigmatized. As a result, people do not communicate openly about suicide. Thus an important public health problem is left shrouded in secrecy, which limits the amount of information available to those working to prevent suicide. Research over the last several decades has uncovered a wealth of information on the causes of suicide and on prevention strategies. Additionally, CDC is working to monitor the problem and develop programs to prevent youth suicide. 

13 Reasons Why - The National School Psychologists Association has compiled information about the series for both parents and educators, please see the link below.

Guidance on watching 13 Reasons Why  

Guidance on watching 13 Reasons Why, Season 2

13 Reasons Why Netflix Series: Considerations for Educators

Suicide Awareness - Board Policy 819 

Center For Disease Control - Suicide Prevention

National Suicide Prevention Life Line

SCHOOL WELLNESS

The School District of Haverford Township recognizes that student wellness and proper nutrition are related to students’ physical well-being, growth, development, and readiness to learn. The Board is committed to providing a school environment that promotes student wellness, proper nutrition, nutrition education and promotion and regular physical activity as part of the total learning experience. In a healthy school environment, students will learn about and participate in positive dietary and lifestyle practices that can improve student achievement.

The focus of the School Wellness Committee is to support healthy students through education, food and nutrition, physical activity and student wellness.

In the Spring of 2017, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) required all schools districts to adopt a School Wellness Policy. Policy requirements included:

• Establishing a wellness committee to support the implementation of the policy and triennially assess the policy
• Providing quality physical education
• Adhering to USDA standards for food services and competitive foods
• Adhering to Smart Snack® guidelines for fundraisers and classroom celebrations
• Providing nutrition education and modeling healthy behaviors

School Board Policy 246

Wellness Policy Assessment Tool and Report Template