Parent, Family and Community Engagement

Explore this guide that provides specific observations from long-term partnerships with Early Head Start and Head Start programs and offers an insight on the most effective use of the Family Connections materials.

Explore this guide that includes information and processes focused on assessing a program's level of "readiness" to engage in the kind of work involved in reaching out to families and children facing adversity.

Learn how to use the Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Framework to strengthen trauma-informed care. Find examples of how to support trauma-informed care and healing in programs and in systems of care.

Increase your knowledge and skills about trauma. Learn the definition of trauma, how we respond to traumatic events, and how traumatic events affect families.

Learn about reactions to others’ trauma and how to respond. We need to take care of ourselves when we work with people who have experienced trauma. The effects of those experiences on them can affect us, too.

Learn how to strengthen trauma-informed practices for staff. Review strategies staff can use to practice trauma-informed care. Find examples of how to support staff in a trauma-informed program.

Review strategies for coping with and healing from trauma. Learn how families’ strengths help the healing process.

Explore how infant and early childhood mental health consultants can use this resource to guide their family engagement work with early childhood professionals and families.