In-School Laundry Helping Boost Attendance

DENVER (CBS4) – For some students not having access to clean clothes is a barrier to going to school. Whirlpool is partnering with schools to remove that barrier, by putting laundry facilities in schools.

Through the Care Counts laundry program, five Denver schools are getting washers and dryers, among them Doull Elementary school. Students learn to use the washer and dryer and have access to them during a life skills class. The program launched at the school in January.

"A lot of the students who are in this program, you see the big smiles on their face. They feel more confident with their clothes, that are their own clothes, not clothes that we happen to give them that we just found," said Rob Suglia, assistant principal at Doull Elementary School.

The school is testing the program on a small group of students, but plans to expand it to all children who need it.