Missing school creates cascading effects that hurt graduation rates and life outcomes. Washington’s Becca Laws provide intervention mechanisms, but significant gaps remain in our response to youth in crisis.
In 1995, the Becca statutes were passed to create structured responses when youth are in crisis. These laws established mechanisms—truancy, CHINS (Children in Need of Services), and ARY (At-Risk Youth)—to allow courts, schools, and service agencies to intervene and provide support.
In Washington State's 2018-19 school year, over 1 million students were enrolled, yet 80,615 were chronically absent. Missing even a few days per month can dramatically hurt graduation chances and signal deeper family or personal crises.
Despite large numbers of chronically absent students, fewer than 10,000 truancy petitions were filed that year. This leaves tens of thousands of students and families unaccounted for under the Becca system—falling through the cracks without support.
