They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
VOA Southeast’s Helping Families Initiative (HFI) was built on a simple but powerful principle: intervene early, and you can change the trajectory of a child’s life—and a community’s future. By identifying and addressing the root causes behind chronic school absences in Alabama communities, HFI solves small problems before they grow into major ones.
Often those problems come from unexpected places: poverty, untreated health issues, family instability—things a school system alone can’t fix, but a community can.
For instance: A high school student in Mobile was leaving school early every day, and no one could figure out why. One afternoon, an HFI case officer waited outside to see what was happening. When the student walked out, she called him by name and gently asked why he was leaving early.
His answer?
“My feet hurt.”
He had outgrown his shoes—he needed a size 15—but his family couldn’t afford a new pair. Through HFI, a local church group stepped in and bought him shoes that fit, plus a second pair for when he grew again.
Just like that, the problem was solved, and he stayed in school.
Another situation involved an 11th-grade girl who had always done well in school—until she suddenly started skipping class and failing.
When HFI stepped in, they found out her mother had just returned home after being incarcerated. The reunion, while ultimately a good thing, caused unexpected tension and disruption at home. With support from VOA Southeast and HFI caseworkers, the family got connected to services that helped them rebuild their relationship. That same girl went on to graduate from a leading pharmacy program in California.
At another school, a 10-year-old boy had severe behavioral issues. Each day he was shouting, standing on desks, and threatening classmates. Teachers were at a loss. HFI learned he was being raised by his elderly grandmother in a home without working appliances and with limited resources. With HFI’s help, community members helped provide a washer, dryer, and stove.
But the real breakthrough came when caseworkers discovered the boy’s prescribed medication wasn’t being given correctly—his grandmother couldn’t read the instructions. By simplifying the dosage schedule and continuing wraparound support, his behavior improved dramatically, and so did his ability to succeed in class.
Three very different students. Three very different challenges. But all three found support, solutions, and stability because someone took the time to ask why. That’s what HFI does best: uncovering the story behind the struggle and helping kids and families find the services they need to overcome their problems.
How School Absences Affect Society
Why focus on school attendance? Studies have shown that frequent absences lead to a host of problems down the road, not just for educational performance, but well on into adulthood.
Poor attendance early on has serious impacts on reading proficiency. By 6th grade, chronic absences become a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school. In fact, missing more than 10 days of school in the 9th grade reduces the chance of graduating by 60 percent.
One national study found that, going into adulthood, students who were chronically absent were less likely to have a job, more likely to need government assistance such as food stamps—they were even 5% less likely to vote.
Often the absences are an indication of trouble outside of school. Students who live in poverty, have disabilities, or have untreated chronic health conditions all experience disproportionately high absence rates.
How the Helping Families Initiative Got Its Start
John Tyson started the HFI program over 20 years ago when, working as the District Attorney for Mobile County, AL, he and his attorneys found that adults appearing before the court had a history of disrupting or skipping school. In fact, the DA’s office found that teachers could often identify students at risk of future involvement with the justice system as early as pre-K.
He realized early intervention with the student and their family was key to preventing crime. But most teachers were—perhaps understandably—reluctant to notify the DA’s office of bad behavior in the classroom.
“Teachers always believe in the promise of their students,” John said. “They’re not about to call the DA on them. Plus, they have enough paperwork already.”
Instead of waiting for teacher referrals, John and his team used mandatory attendance records to focus on at-risk students and their families. That led them to launch the HFI in Mobile in 2003.
How the Helping Families Initiative Works
HFI focuses on identifying students at risk of dropping out of school or engaging in criminal activity. Schools provide attendance and disciplinary data, and when patterns of concern emerge, the DA intervenes by sending parents a letter reminding them that Alabama law requires their children to attend school and offering them help before legal consequences arise.
It may seem small, but you’d be surprised by the impact a single letter from the DA can have, John said. Often, just that first step yields significant improvements.
If a student’s attendance and behavior don’t improve, parents are invited to assessments, where representatives from the DA’s office can better understand what’s going wrong at home.
That’s where VOA Southeast steps in. VOA Southeast case officers play a vital role in identifying issues and connecting families with resources to stabilize their lives. Through our robust network of community partners, we support families with addiction recovery, mental health care, food security, and financial assistance, offering a comprehensive approach to addressing their challenges. This early collaboration with families prevents future legal problems, helping to break cycles of poverty and instability and foster healthier, safer communities.
“We try to prepare individual intervention plans specific to kids, families, and neighborhoods,” John said. “When we do all those things and do them right, we get results.”
One of HFI’s most striking findings was the concentration of behavioral issues among a small number of students. John noted that in Mobile’s school district of 65,000 students, only 1,800 students were responsible for the majority of disciplinary problems—a pattern that mirrored broader crime statistics. This meant that HFI could maximize its impact by focusing on a relatively concentrated group of students who needed significant support.
Donate to VOA Southeast to Help Make a Difference for Alabama Families
At the end of the day, John said, the Helping Families Initiative fulfills a fundamental moral principle: “We’re acting on our mandate to love our neighbor.”
By ensuring children and their families receive the care and attention they need, HFI strengthens the community and helps people solve their problems before they escalate.
Today, HFI has expanded from one county, Mobile, to 21 counties across Alabama, partnering with over half of the state’s school systems. During the 2023-2024 school year, HFI directly served more than 14,000 at-risk youth. The program regularly affects the lives of multiple generations within a family unit. We conservatively estimate that the program has impacted more than 43,000 adults and children.
Your contributions are what enable us to continue our work. Please consider donating today. Every contribution makes a difference.