Tips for Families: You Are a Leader
In this tip sheet, learn ways parents can advocate for their children and their communities. Explore how parenting skills have a lot in common with effective leadership skills.
Family Engagement
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.
Tips for Families: Everyday Leadership Skills
Explore this tip sheet with parents to help them recognize the powerful leadership skills and abilities they already have and use in their everyday life.
Partnering with Families of Children Who Are Dual Language Learners
Explore how to partner with families of children who are dual language learners. Learn ways staff can build these partnerships and help children be healthy and successful in school and in life.
Strategies for Family Engagement: Attitudes and Practices
Explore how family engagement and practice strategies are key to building relationships with families.
The Family Partnership Process: Engaging and Goal-Setting with Families
Strong, healthy families give their children the best chance at success in school and in life. The Family Goal-Setting Guide explores how strong partnerships can positively influence the goals families set in the Family Partnership Process.
Family Engagement and Ongoing Child Assessment
The partnership between parents and staff is fundamental to children's current and future success in school readiness and beyond. Discover how programs can share information with families about children's learning and progress toward school readiness outcomes.
Parent Involvement and Family Engagement for Early Childhood Professionals
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.
Encouraging Strong Parent-Child Relationships
Explore strategies to encourage strong and positive parent-child relationships. Discover how to use family engagement efforts that include valuing, respecting, and supporting families.
Parent-Child Relationships Infographic
Explore this research-based infographic to learn how and why the parent-child relationship is important. Review strategies program supervisors and staff can use the infographic to promote these relationships.