A parent listens to a child with a backpack outside an elementary school as other students arrive

School family guide

When the school
nurse calls.

One child feels sick. Two others need picking up. A parent in an eligible household can text TAP from home for help deciding what to do next.

See a care conversation

Texting the TAP care team

A first text
from home.

Check your household’s access, save TAP’s contact, and text “Hi.” A parent or guardian can start in their usual messaging app.

Before the first bell

Your child wakes up feeling unwell. After confirming household access, tell the care team what you’ve noticed and when it began.

Check household access ↗

The clinician can recommend an examination or testing when needed. Follow your school’s absence and return policies. For emergencies, call 911.

TAP care team

Text Message · SMS
Today 7:10 AM

  1. Parent: Hi. One of my kids woke up with a sore throat. The other two are waiting for the bus. Can I start here?
  2. TAP care team: Hi! Let’s check your household’s access first. How old is your child, and when did the sore throat start?
  3. Parent: She’s eight. It started last night.
Fictional conversation. No messages are sent.

From the classroom to home

The opening of How to Use TAP follows one gold ribbon past an empty desk to a child at home.

Pop out full film 1:59
Film credit

Easy Lemon by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Music edited and mixed for the full TAP film.

School and family resources

At the school
health office.

A nurse can put current care instructions in a parent’s hands. Choose a role to see the guide and the next steps.

A school nurse and a parent talk beside a child’s backpack in a school health office

For parents & caregivers

Care instructions for a sick day

Check access before your child gets sick. When you need help, contact the care team directly and keep the school informed through its usual absence process.

Download the parent guide ↓
Practical steps for this role
  1. 01

    Know the route before you need it.

    Check eligibility and keep current care instructions close by.

  2. 02

    Stay involved in your child’s care.

    A parent or guardian starts the conversation and follows consent and intake instructions.

  3. 03

    Keep school in the loop.

    Report absences through your school’s usual process and follow its return requirements.

Short films

TAP family
comedies.

Dr. Maya’s family finds humor in familiar health questions. Each film offers English and Spanish captions.

Fictional comedies with AI-generated performers. The doctor in the home is a storytelling device for text-based care.

Attendance research

What the numbers
can tell us.

Three sources describe different populations and measures. Open each source to see who was studied and how the result was reported.

TAP-REPORTED
2.5 days

“Sooner back to school”

TAP’s founder reports that students returned to school 2.5 days sooner. The published account does not specify the time period or comparison group.

How to read this figure

The source does not provide a student count, define how return was measured, or link to an evaluation. The figure cannot estimate annual absences prevented or predict results for Batavia.

Read the TAP disclosure ↗
MUNICIPAL REPORT
20%

Fewer school absence days

In a 2024 letter, the Ferris city manager reported 20% fewer school absence days among children who used the service.

Read the evidence limits

The letter does not supply the underlying school data, student count, dates, comparison group, or analysis. Those details would be needed to assess whether TAP caused the change.

Read the original letter, p. 33 ↗
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL STUDY
0.60 days/year

A result from school telehealth

A study of six elementary schools estimated fewer absence days with a school-based telemedicine program.

Who and what the study measured

The study involved 4,203 students and estimated a 7.7% reduction (95% confidence interval: 1%–14%). It evaluated a different delivery model and population. Its estimate cannot be transferred to parent-at-home TAP care.

Read the research ↗

ILLUSTRATIVE SCENARIO

What could a small
change add up to?

Choose a group size, participation level and hypothetical change in absences. The result shows how those assumptions add up.

50student-days per year in
this illustrative scenario

500 eligible students × 20% participating × 0.5 fewer days/year = 50 student-days/year

This calculator uses only the values you choose.

How a school could evaluate outreach

Reach
Can families find and understand the instructions?

Access
Can eligible households start care when they need it?

Experience
Do parents report less confusion and travel burden?

Attendance
Do comparable, aggregate trends change over time?

A proposed evaluation should define eligibility, baseline and follow-up periods, comparison methods, and privacy controls before examining results. Routine seasonal change is not proof of impact.

Printable resources

The school
field guides.

Find the next step for your family or school team. Each guide fits on a single printed page.

Schools can adapt this sample for their usual family communication channels after checking local access instructions and district policy.

A parent walks a child to a school entrance

Batavia, Illinois

A family guide
for Batavia.

Find Batavia household program information, the route to care and school-day resources in one place.

Open the Batavia guide →

Questions
from families.

Does attending school in a TAP community give us access?

Not automatically. Household access depends on the applicable community or employer program. A school district can extend beyond municipal boundaries. Check your address and current program instructions with TAP.

Is this a replacement for our pediatrician?

No. TAP can help with a care conversation when eligible families need guidance. Keep your child’s established care relationships, preventive visits, and recommended follow-up.

Can my child text TAP on their own?

This school outreach guide directs a parent or guardian to initiate care and follow TAP’s consent and identity process. Ask the care team about the consent requirements for your child.

Does a TAP visit automatically excuse an absence?

No. Attendance reporting, documentation and return-to-school requirements are set by the school. Ask the school what it needs, and discuss any appropriate documentation with the care team.

What does it cost, and when can we start?

Terms and launch dates depend on your program. Check the current official community or employer instructions. Your program’s care and participation information will explain the charges and enrollment terms that apply.

Will the school receive our health messages?

This website collects no health messages. Families contact TAP directly. Ask your school what documentation it needs. Your family can discuss that request with the care team.

Is there help in Spanish?

TAP’s official access website offers a Spanish view. Ver las instrucciones de acceso en español ↗. The school guides are also available in Spanish. Descargar las guías en español →

TAP FILMS

TAP film

English captions available.Open on TAP ↗