Transitional kindergarten: What can parents expect when it comes to support from the school for their child who is not yet able to learn properly?

As California expands transitional kindergarten in public schools to all four-year-olds, teachers are faced with an increasingly common problem: How do they help children who are not yet potty trained?

“In the lower grades, it's quite normal for these teachers to have to deal with accidents in the classroom – there's just a bigger shift toward students coming into school still wearing diapers and nappies. It's a little different,” said Mara Harvey, president of the Natomas Teachers' Association in Northern California.

Most children are potty trained by the age of 4, According to the Academy of Pediatricsbut this can also vary depending on the child's development. And even if they are clean, accidents and regressions can still happen.

Unlike daycare staff, teachers are not usually allowed to directly assist children with toileting or changing their diapers or clothes. That is outside of their job scope, Harvey explains.

“As teachers, we don't have any special training. And I know a lot of people think, 'Oh, it's just changing a diaper, right?' But we're not able to have any kind of contact with a student that would allow us to change a diaper… that's not part of our job,” she said.

What does the state demand?

The California Department of Education requires districts to accept all eligible students, regardless of whether they are clean or not, but leaves it up to districts to decide how best to meet the needs of those students. The agency has a Toilet tool set for districts.

In some districts, orderlies and nurses can help children, but Harvey's district doesn't have trained staff (except for students enrolled in individual education programs). If a child has an accident or needs their diaper changed, schools call parents, she said.

“For teachers, it’s really just a matter of needing guidance and support as to who is responsible for that,” Harvey said.

So what can parents of TK students expect when it comes to toilet assistance for their children? Conclusion: Check with your school or school district.

In the Rowland Unified School District, health assistants, instructional assistants and personal care assistants are trained to help students with toileting or in the event of an accident.

“So everyone has at least one health aide and almost everyone has one of the other two. And sometimes parents prefer to come themselves because there are parents who are staying at home or near the school,” said Annette Ramirez, director of student services for the Rowland Unified School District.

Create a support plan

She said teachers will ask parents of their students to bring a change of clothes and other items such as diapers or wipes. If a student has a mishap, they usually call parents, but on-site staff can also help. She said teachers will often talk about what a student needs at back-to-school nights or at conferences.

“We have a strong line of communication between school and home. And that is the first and most important link to ensure that children are safe and secure and comfortable on school grounds,” she said.

At Long Beach Unified College, “teachers are not required to assist with toileting, [but] have the opportunity to volunteer,” a spokesperson said. The district also has paraprofessionals, teaching assistants and health technicians who are among the staff trained in student rotation.

What are the teachers told?

The California Department of Education guidelines state: “[d]Districts, schools and programs may also need to analyze current job descriptions for teachers and staff and negotiate with union representatives about which duties include direct toileting support activities, such as assisting a child with changing clothes or personal hygiene.”

In the Los Angeles Unified School District, like many other school districts, teachers offer oral support.

“Let's say an accident happens, we verbally go over the whole thing with them… 'Here's a change of clothes… Change, wipe yourself down. Here's the front of your pants,'” explained Dean Tagawa, LAUSD's director of early childhood education. “In the meantime, we reach out to the family if they need to come and help.”

Prevention is also important. Parents should ask their teachers how often their children need to go to the bathroom. Tagawa said that a break every 15 to 20 minutes may be necessary, especially at the beginning of the school year.

Learning from friends can also help children become clean. “When children go together and see other children learning to become clean, it is easier for them to have a role model… Often it takes them a week or two to become clean,” Tagawa said.