Family engagement is a collaborative and strengths-based process through which early childhood professionals, families, and children build positive and goal-oriented relationships. It is a shared responsibility of families and staff at all levels that requires mutual respect for the roles and strengths each has to offer. Family engagement focuses on culturally and linguistically responsive relationship-building with key family members in a child’s life. These people include pregnant women and expectant families, mothers, fathers, grandparents, and other adult caregivers. It requires making a commitment to creating and sustaining an ongoing partnership that supports family well-being. It also honors and supports the parent-child relationships that are central to a child’s healthy development, school readiness, and well-being. The Office of Head Start Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Framework is a guide to learning how family engagement promotes positive, enduring change for children, families, and communities.
Explore this resource to foster positive parent-child relationships through everyday staff-parent relationships. Find prompts and questions that invite partnership-building conversations with parents.
Personal and cultural background informs how people parent. Head Start programs can provide important support to parents who want the best for their children.
Head Start staff and parents bring unique elements to their relationship while they work with a focus on supporting children’s growth and learning.
Head Start staff can use these three steps to build relationships with parents and support their learning and decision-making.
The positive, goal-directed relationships Head Start staff form with parents can strengthen the relationships parents have with their children. This parallel process supports parents in self-discovery.
Secure relationships are the foundation of trust. By using positive, strengths-based attitudes, staff can create trusting, supportive partnerships with parents.
In this set of videos, learn about the home-based program option. Find out how home visits work, what parents can expect from a home visitor, and the role parent's play in the development of their child.
Learn about effective home visiting practices to help nurture parent-child relationships and positive interactions. Find out how to partner with families to create a rich learning environment in the home.
Explore this resource to understand the differences between parent involvement and family engagement. Learn why moving from parent involvement to family engagement practices can help you build strong relationships with families.
Explore strategies to encourage strong and positive parent-child relationships. Discover how to use family engagement efforts that include valuing, respecting, and supporting families.