9.5 Challenges and Barriers to Connecting with Families
Ardene Niemer, M.Ed.
Identifying Barriers
There are many benefits that are gained for a family and child when the family is engaged and connected with the teacher and/or the school. At the same time, we also know that there are barriers to family engagement, and many parents cannot or do not become engaged or connected in their child’s schooling experiences. These barriers can be on the part of the school or the family.
Some barriers result from limited resources but can also stem from the beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes of families and school staff. Some common examples stem from a lack of teacher time because of other responsibilities and teachers seeing family engagement as just another task to complete (Baker et al., 2016). There are also teachers who do not understand or seek to understand a parent’s communication style or work to build those relationships. This mismatch may be the result of cultural or language differences, teachers’ misperceptions of the parents’ abilities, limited family resources such as time or lack of transportation, parents’ lack of comfort, and not feeling welcome at school. Some parents may have had negative school experiences that cloud their ability to make positive connections, or they may be unfamiliar with American culture and expectations around family engagement in schools. There also may be a belief from families that teachers only connect with “bad news.” This one-way communication system does not allow for opportunities to share information.
Teacher Perspective
From the teacher’s perspective, some teachers may not feel respected by a parent or may feel that a family has challenged their authority or questioned decisions (Arce, 2019). Mobility in urban areas can also challenge connections due to the more frequent movement of families. Finally, many families may simply not see the value of being engaged with their child’s education and do not believe they could have any meaningful role in their child’s schooling.
Each one of these barriers can be mediated through building an invested interest on both sides, clear and intentional communication, relationship development, and an attitude of partnership. There are barriers, however, that present a more complicated challenge. It is important to begin thinking about building a collection of resources or a resource file that you can offer to families when barriers are identified and/or disclosed. It is important to learn about safety and structure for children and families and how to offer nonjudgmental support.
Challenges to Making Connections
Parents and teachers benefit when families are involved in their child’s education. However, there are barriers that prevent this. These barriers include limited resources, time constraints, cultural and language differences, and negative past experiences, and more. There is a template for a resource list at the end of this text.
- Dysregulated children and/or dysregulated adults: The term dysregulation is used to describe a limited, or lack of, ability to manage emotional responses to different situations and keep this control within socially acceptable limits and expectations. This can include sadness, anger, irritability, and frustration. We know that a parent who has emotional dysregulation will also most likely struggle to teach their child how to regulate. Dysregulation can also be the result of early childhood trauma, child neglect, or traumatic brain injury (McLean, 2018). A person might also be biologically susceptible to react emotionally, which can be triggered by ongoing but low levels of negativity or invalidation in their life circumstances.
- Families who are impacted by domestic violence, substance use disorder, mental health challenges, and other difficulties. Recent statistics show that up to 12% of children under five years old live with at least one parent with an alcohol or substance use disorder (Lipari & Van Horn, 2017). When a parent has a substance use disorder, it can have negative effects on their children and on overall family functioning. Families with a parent who has a substance use disorder pose an increased risk to the children for experiencing other challenges, such as mental illness, poverty, domestic violence, academic problems, abuse, and neglect.
Remember that in early learning and education, it is the responsibility of the educator to be a mandated reporter. According to Wash. Rev. Code § 26.44.030 (1965) in Washington state, this means that teachers are legally obligated to report suspected child abuse or neglect to the appropriate state child protection agency. The Washington State Division for Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) states that educators are required to report incidents where there is a reasonable suspicion that abuse or neglect has occurred or there is a substantial risk that abuse or neglect may occur, but the educator must not investigate on their own (n.d.).
Educators should include a clear and detailed conversation about this mandate in the staff and parent orientation processes. The goal is to create a culture of safety where teachers operate with shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices with the intent of zero harm to children. Remember to review the goal of partnership and working together in family engagement and communicate to families that you are not “out to get them.”
There can be tough decisions about inclusion in the ECE program. Inclusion can be defined as children with and without disabilities learning alongside each other, integrated into the same classrooms, and all receiving an appropriate, high-quality education. The Individuals with Disabilities Education (IDEA) Act, originally called the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (1975), mandates that students with disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment – to the maximum extent appropriate. There are many benefits to inclusion, such as resources to support individualized and differentiated learning, teachers having the support of other teachers and specialists, children learning with other children their age, and children learning to accept and value differences. The decision regarding inclusion needs to be made case-by-case to be successful for the child and family. All children have different needs and there are a variety of ways to meet those needs.
Reflection
What does inclusion mean to you?
Consider the following in working with the family to make the inclusion decision:
- Is your learning environment structured for inclusion?
- Can the child learn and make progress in a group setting?
- Can the teacher provide appropriate instruction so that all children can understand and be engaged?
- Can the child tolerate an inclusive classroom without being overstimulated or overwhelmed?
- Does the list of pros outweigh the list of cons for the child’s best benefit?
Attributions
- Figure 9.9: image released under the Unsplash License
A main element of our society. A family is made up of people who care about each other.
Obstacles or obstructions to learning, including physical, technological, systemic, financial, or related to mental health and attitude
A process used to develop and sustain positive, goal-focused connections with families.
Please look for related terms in the Glossary
The connections and interactions between family members, including parents, siblings, grandparents, and other extended family members.
A partnership is a reciprocal, respectful, and ongoing relationship between a program and families or community.