The purpose of the home and hospital program is to provide instruction to a student with a temporary disability in the student’s home or in a hospital or other residential health facility, excluding state hospitals.

A temporary disability is defined as a physical, mental or emotional disability incurred while a student is enrolled in regular day classes or an alternative education program, and after which the student can reasonably be expected to return to regular day classes or the alternative education program without special intervention.

A temporary disability does not include a disability for which a student is identified as an individual with exceptional needs pursuant to California Education Code (EC) Section 56026.

School districts shall notify parents at the beginning of a school term of the availability of individualized instruction for pupils with a temporary disability. (EC sections 48206.3[d] and 48980)

A student with a temporary disability who is in a hospital or other residential health facility, excluding a state hospital, located outside of the school district in which the student’s parent or guardian resides, shall be deemed to have complied with the residency requirements for school attendance in the school district in which the hospital in located. (EC Section 48207)

It is the primary responsibility of the parent or guardian of a student with a temporary disability to notify the school district in which the student is deemed to reside of the student’s presence in a qualifying hospital. Within five working days following notification from the parent or guardian, the school district shall determine whether the student will be able to receive individualized instruction, and, if the determination is positive, when the individualized instruction may begin. Individualized instruction shall start no later than five working days after the positive determination has been made. (EC Section 48208)

EC Section 48206.3 specifies that for attendance accounting, each clock hour of individualized instruction counts as one day of attendance. No student shall be credited with more than five days of attendance per calendar week or credited with more than the total number of calendar days that regular classes are offered by the district in any fiscal year.

The primary outcome of Home and Hospital Instruction is to maintain a student at the student’s former level of performance while recovering from the temporary disability so as not to jeopardize the student’s future performance upon returning to a regular day class or alternative education program.

Home and Hospital Instruction serves students with a temporary disability (EC Section 58206.3[b][2]) that makes attendance in the regular day classes or alternative education program in which the student is enrolled impossible or inadvisable, excluding students with “exceptional needs” (EC Section 56026).

Please contact your child’s school office for more information regarding Home/Hospital Programs.