Kids with clean clothing are more likely to happily go to school every day. That’s the continuing finding of a Whirlpool-sponsored program that’s working in dozens of schools across the country, delivering measurable results in improved school attendance. And the program is quietly expanding every year, according to a release from Whirlpool.
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The rate of chronic classroom absenteeism nearly doubled nationally from 2018 to 2022, and has only modestly declined since then. It now impacts approximately 30 percent of students across the country1, underscoring a major and ongoing need for programs that assist in re-engaging students and providing solutions that prevent them from missing school. For the ninth year, Whirlpool brand is proud to continue to expand its Care Counts™ Laundry Program, now providing washers and dryers to 164 schools across 41 states.
In partnership with school teachers, administrators, developmental psychologists, and long-time collaborator, Teach For America, the Care Counts™ laundry program works with participating schools experiencing high rates of absenteeism to remove one small but important barrier to attendance – access to clean clothes – by installing washers and dryers in schools. This year, the laundry program is expanding to 10 new schools in states including Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alaska, Texas, and Oregon, adding to a robust roster that has helped more than 50,000 students gain access to clean clothes since the program’s inception in 2015.
For the last nine years, the program has contributed to decreases in chronic absenteeism, which has led to improvements in grades and self-esteem among participating at-risk students. In analyzing the most recent data from the 2023-2024 school year, Whirlpool brand found that:
- Nearly 87% of participating high-risk elementary school students2 saw an increase in attendance.
- Participating high-risk elementary school students3 saw an average increase in attendance rate that would result in being in school 13 more days across a full academic year.
- Nearly 74% of participating high-risk elementary school students4 decreased their level of chronic absenteeism while in the Care Counts™ laundry program.
“We’re so grateful to Teach for America and the new and existing school leaders and educators participating in the Care Counts™ laundry program who are helping combat absenteeism on a daily basis,” said Magdalena Pawelec, Senior Director, Brand Marketing at Whirlpool Corporation. “By continuing to grow the Care Counts™ laundry program, together we are creating a positive and direct impact not only for students, but also their entire households.”
“With almost a decade of measurable impact, there’s no doubt that our data tells a powerful story: Access to washers and dryers, and in turn, clean clothes, is truly instrumental in lowering absenteeism for at-risk students,” said Richard Rende, Ph.D., developmental psychologist, and researcher supporting the program. “We’ve also seen that increases in attendance rates lead to boosts in grades and self-esteem, which puts these children on track to experience further academic, social and personal growth through childhood and beyond.”
To learn more about the Care Counts™ Laundry Program by Whirlpool brand, visit https://www.whirlpool.com/care-counts.
