Chapter 9 : Family Partnerships

Overview

It is likely that you have heard the saying “the family is a child’s first and best teacher.” There are many studies that show that the most crucial years of learning take place at home, before a child is old enough to enter school (Dewey, 2018). We also know that teaching and learning in a school setting cannot compare to the impact that parents and families impart every day through words and examples (modeling and coaching) at home. Additionally, the phrase carries with it our professional obligation to honor, value, and include the families with whom we work in early childhood education.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) states through the Power to the Profession work that:

We need to be clear that recognizing families as the experts on their children and supporting them in their role as their children’s ‘first and most important’ teachers does not undermine the professional responsibilities of early childhood educators. Rather, it underscores the breadth and depth of professional knowledge early childhood educators need to carry out their formal responsibilities to fully support each child’s cognitive, social, emotional, physical, language, and literacy development. (Allvin, 2018, para. 2)

In your role as an early childhood professional, you will have a variety of responsibilities. In addition to teaching and sharing knowledge; you are a caregiver, mentor, nurturer, and sometimes even the first significant non-family influence in a child’s life. With that in mind, it is important to recognize that building strong relationships with families is a core part of an early childhood educator’s role. This starts with communicating openly and working closely with parents to ensure a cohesive approach to the child’s development. It is also essential to become a team with your colleagues, and focus on each and every individual child’s success in school and in life.

Chapter 9 of this OER textbook provides insight into family partnerships and how responsive and respectful relationships with families impact the child, family, teacher, and ECE program. The content of the chapter is presented using a positive, strengths-based approach to support children as they grow, develop, and learn. Using a strengths-based approach centers our lens on looking for and identifying a family’s strengths as a starting point for our work in partnership with the family.

Keep reading and intentionally engage with the content in this chapter to learn more!

 

9.1 Families Today

Figure 9.1

Word Cloud of Terms Related to Family

To understand, respect, and be responsive to the families and children we serve, we must first look at what each of us defines as family. We all probably have an image in our minds of what a family is, but often, we do not stop and think about how the families in our programs may have different characteristics. We need to learn about the diversity in the cultures of our families as well as the diversity in family structure. These perspectives are important considerations for success for the child and family and provide critical information about how to design and deliver program content. It will also guide how we work with families in creating goals and even choosing learning materials.

The foundation for family connections is developed by first creating a shared definition of family. We know that all children are part of a family, but “family” does not fit a single idea or concept of what a family is. Families are made in many ways: different sizes and compositions. Some examples include single-parent families, two-parent families, and extended families with more than one generation living together. Families are also blended, stepfamilies, biracial/multi-racial families, families from the LGBTQ+ community, straight families, families that have immigrated to the U.S., transnational families that live in two countries, and families who migrate to follow work availability. Children may have been born into a family or may become part of a family through foster care, adoption, or kinship arrangements.

We also know that some children in our programs live in more than one home and are members of more than one family. We also need to be aware that not all the families we serve have stable residences. There are many unhoused families with young children in our communities.

9.1.2 Stresses of Family Life

In addition to the stresses of daily life that we all face, including finding work, paying bills, relationships with friends and family, taking care of our health, etc., parents with young children face even greater burdens. Parents with young children are often at the beginning of their careers and make less money in addition to having to pay all the costs related to child-rearing. We know from research and parent reports that there is a clear lack of affordable, quality childcare and financial subsidies to help with costs (Improving Child Care Access, 2024; Washington Department of Commerce, 2019), leading to more young families living in poverty. Families often need greater access to healthcare for themselves, their children, and often their own parents, which is lacking in many communities. Many families may work in positions where family leave is not even available. Other families struggle with the additional responsibilities if their child happens to have special needs or is struggling academically.

Working with therapists and teachers can often feel like a second job for many families. Families often report that the result of the lower income, little to no paid time off work, and higher costs mean that most feel like they have no safety net (Lankachandra et al., 2022); one injury, illness, car repair, or other such expense would be devastating. Overall, family life is stressful and leaves many families feeling overwhelmed much of the time. Family stress can also lead to relationship challenges for the adults of the family, which only compounds the stress that the children feel.

9.1.3 Influences on Families

Think back for a moment to what you know and have learned about child development philosophers and theorists. It is appropriate here to recall Urie Bronfenbrenner and the ecological systems theory. According to Bronfenbrenner, everything in a child’s environment affects how he or she grows and develops (as cited in Guy-Evans, 2024). Within the child’s microsystem (the small, immediate environment in which the child lives) of home and school, Broffenbrenner’s research shows that the more encouraging and nurturing the relationship between the people in these two places are, the greater the benefit the child will receive from each environment. In turn, this can positively influence how strong and successful the child will likely grow to be.

Relationships between the adults in the family are a significant influence on children, and so are the relationships the family has with the people with whom the child spends time.

9.1.3. Racism

In [crossref:5]Chapter 5[/crossref] you learned about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within the field of early learning. In Chapter 9 it is important to revisit racism and the impact on families, as racism is another factor that impacts families, parents, and children. Families of color often struggle to have equitable access to meaningful work, high-quality childcare, appropriate medical care, etc. Racism can also have an impact on how a parent interacts with their children (Center on the Developing Child, n.d.).

Dealing with racism during daily experiences can place an unfair burden on people of color. Microaggressions can be intentional or unintentional, and delivered as verbal, behavioral or environmental insults. The impact of microaggressions is delivery of a message that is hostile, derogatory in nature, or that embodies negative attitudes that are aimed toward stigmatized or culturally marginalized groups (Sue, 2010). Microaggressions then compound to cause exhaustion and depression. This has been found to impact children’s development (Essien & Wood, 2024). These daily experiences of racism have a cumulative effect and can erode emotional, physical, and even spiritual resources for the parent. Race-related stress may decrease the likelihood that the parent engages in self-care, which may result in reduced emotional availability for the children (American Psychological Association [APA], 2019). This is particularly likely for families whose race-related stress is significant and/or involves traumatic experiences.

In general, stressors vary across families, but some of the more common stressors for families include:

• Being unhoused
• The inability to find work
• Recovering from the pandemic
• Making minimum wage and financial issues
• Working multiple jobs
• Conflicts with extended family
• Death and/or grief
• Physical illness of self or child
• Family estrangement
• Arguments
• Missed commitments

In addition to general stressors, there are other stressors related to race and racism. While racism is a major and consistent and compounding stressor, there are other stressors that racism sits up under. The pressure from all of the general stressors can be overwhelming when you include racism. Some potential reactions to racial stress and trauma to be aware of in your work with children and families include:

• Insecure feelings or feelings of shame and lack of confidence
• Triggers or reminders of traumatic events
• Lack of trust
• Difficulty controlling emotions

For many, there is a “frantic nature” to parenting, with the compounding effect of all the stressors, responsibilities, and demands on parental time. Families can feel overwhelmed and unsupported. Some families face an extraordinary level of parental guilt over not being able to handle all these stressors with ease or families struggling with concerns about the judgments of others. This stress can result in parents not taking care of themselves or in parents engaging in unhealthy behaviors as they try to cope with their problems (drinking, recreational drugs, etc.) (Nomaguchi & Milkie, 2020). The result of all these situational factors and systemic factors is that many families are struggling to get by while caring for their children. Did you know that having a positive cultural identity and being involved in advocacy efforts are considered protective factors against racism (APA, 2019)? A protective factor is the presence of something that can help to reduce the effects of the stressors discussed in this section.

Understanding the negative effects of racism on families is part of what we can and should do in partnership with all families to build strong programs. Understanding the presence of stressors and protective factors may help us to help our families deal more effectively with overall stress as well as traumatic events. This is true for working with families as well as working for the health of the whole community.

9.2 Family Relationships with Programs, Schools, and Teachers

“It’s our responsibility to design a system that helps all children

and families to thrive.”

Ross Hunter, Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families (2018, para. 3)

Research has shown that when families are actively engaged in their children’s education, it leads to positive outcomes for students (Durisic & Bunijevac, 2017). By strengthening communication between parents, teachers and students, we can improve academic performance, promote good behavior, and create a welcoming school environment. Let’s work together to ensure that every child has the support and resources they need to succeed.

A family’s involvement in their child’s school and communication with their educators is crucial to understanding the child’s personality and learning style (Alvin,2018). Parents can provide invaluable insights to you as the child’s teacher, supporting them to be more effective in their work. Parents are an indispensable asset to the instructional program and their engagement can make all the difference in their child’s education.

9.2.1 Family Expectations and Culture

All families care about their children and their children’s success in school. There are, however, often cultural differences and expectations at play. Families have shared that in many cultures around the world, teachers are held in high regard and respected as experts in their field (Walker, 2019). In some cultures, teachers have a higher status and are believed to always be right in what they say and how they teach. It is critical that we remember that for many families, it would be seen as disrespectful to question a teacher or get involved in their classroom teaching in any way. Therefore, we need to remember that for many families, it would be very uncommon for the family to visit their children’s schools or talk with or ask questions of their teachers. This is a primary reason that immigrant families often find their new role as the teacher’s “partner” confusing (Breiseth et al., 2015).

The reasons why some families may not engage with a school or program in traditional involvement activities vary. Some families may feel teachers know better than the family about how to educate their children. Culturally defined roles of parenting and teaching may differ for families who were raised in other countries, or in various US communities with more defined educational roles. Still other families may have work or family responsibilities that make engaging with volunteer or other family-teacher conferences difficult or impossible (IRIS Center, n.d.).

The connections and relationships that an ECE professional builds with families will support the children in understanding the importance of rapport, especially when it comes to interactions that could be tense or emotional. An example of a tool that can be used to enhance opportunities to build relationships with teachers is use of the ASQ (Ages and Stages Questionnaire) to discuss child development and developmental milestones (Muthusamy et al., 2022). The way in which an ECE professional might interact with a family member in this shared discussion, carried out in a caring way is highly important to the work we do.

Many cultures are relationship-oriented, and for them, it is important to take time to develop trust before sharing information or discussing concerns or challenges. Some refugee parents have suggested that the development of informal relationships with their children’s teachers should be in place before the teacher shares any developmental or behavioral challenges that the child is experiencing (Warsi, 2017).

Families have expectations and fears when they send their children to school, which are often influenced by their own educational experiences, cultural expectations, and beliefs. We need to remember that “parentinvolvement” has been defined largely by dominant culture American-born K-12 educators, administrators, and researchers (Calzada et al., 2015).

In general, this term includes things like volunteering, communicating with the school, participating in school activities, and helping with homework. The reasons why some families may not engage with a school or program in traditional involvement activities vary (Ðurišic & Bunijevac, 2017). Some families may feel teachers know better than the family about how to educate their children. Culturally defined roles of parenting and teaching may differ for families who were raised in other countries, or in various U.S. communities with more defined educational roles. Still other families may have work or family responsibilities that make engaging with volunteer opportunities or teacher conferences difficult or impossible.

Family fears may also arise when a parent themselves has not had a successful experience in school (Ðurišic & Bunijevac, 2017). This parent may have struggled academically, or socially, may have been bullied, or found eligible for special education services. These parents may believe that their child’s experience will mirror their own and be fearful or hesitant about their child attending school. Parents also fear school violence and may have stress and anxiety about school safety.

Our families face stressors that are significant and often systemic in our culture. There are no simple solutions. However, awareness of the challenges and barriers that families face can help educators create effective relationships with parents because they understand the realities of daily life for many families. They also respect that each family has its own culture and that we can, over time, come to understand it is a professional obligation to have respect for all families and realize the rich diversity within those families (NAEYC, n.d.) .

Understanding and respect for families is the foundation on which we will build a partnership. This partnership approach will support teachers and programs to individualize their approach for connecting with families, free from ideas of what an “ideal family” should look like. This will provide equitable access and service for all families we serve.

9.2.2 Connecting with Families by Building Relationships: Valuing who families are and what they bring

For teachers, building and maintaining positive relationships with families will free your time to focus more on teaching children (American Federation of Teachers [AFT], 2010). Because you have more positive contact with parents you will learn more about the child’s needs and their home environment. You can use this information to enhance strategies to better meet the child’s needs. For the children, seeing positive and supportive relationships between their teacher(s) and family supports their well-being, safety, and social development.

Finally, when parents are involved and have a positive relationship with you as the child’s teacher, they will tend to see you in a more positive way, and this improves your own morale and motivation to be the best teacher for this child.

You might ask the question, “Why should I connect with families? What’s in it for me?” There are many benefits of positive, healthy connections with families.

These include (but are not limited to) increased positive behaviors of the children, improved child health, academic and social skills, increased parenting skills and positive parent-child interactions, and family satisfaction with the early learning program in general (AFT, 2010).

It is essential to remember that all families come to us and to our programs with prior knowledge, and this knowledge should be valued. Luis Moll refers to this as “funds of knowledge.” Moll’s concept of “funds of knowledge” is based on a simple premise: people are competent and have knowledge, and their life experiences have given them that knowledge (González et al., 2005).

You can think of this in terms of a savings account, and each new experience and each new piece of knowledge is a deposit into the account. These funds can remain deposited and grow or be accessed and shared for the benefit of the child and family.

Each family brings something different to the classroom, and understanding that all families contribute in different ways helps us be respectful and responsive{/GL] in our work with families. Not all families can, or prefer to attend parent/teacher conferences, and not all families are able to do nightly homework with children. Having teachers who understand this allows families to contribute in a way that values the knowledge and the capacity they have (Ðurišic & Bunijevac, 2017).

Parent knowledge may look like a parent sharing knowledge and insight about their child with the teacher. It might look like a parent using their skills at home to support the child and family. It might also be a parent who builds strong attitudes in their child about school and learning. It might be a parent who wants to share how to weave, paint, or plant a vegetable garden. We need to respect and value this unique knowledge parents bring in order to holistically know and understand the child and build a reciprocal partnership with the family.

In her work with Moll and Amanti, Norma González (2005) shared that children bring with them the funds of knowledge from their homes and communities that can be used for concept and skill development. There are ten categories of funds of knowledge that teachers should consider in developing classroom practices. With this information, teachers would be less likely to underestimate or constrain what children are learning. Using the funds of knowledge, teachers can focus on supporting students to find meaning connected to their home lives and background, which can be represented in the activities and materials provided in the classroom.

The 10 categories of Funds of Knowledge (González et al., 2005) include:

1. Home Language
2. Family Values and Traditions
3. Caregiving
4. Friends and Family
5. Family Outings
6. Household Chores
7. Educational Activities
8. Favorite TV Shows
9. Family Occupations
10. Scientific Knowledge

There are many examples of building positive relationships between families and ECE professionals in the Head Start model of early learning programs (Head Start ECLKC, n.d.) . Program structure is another area to consider for change to increase family engagement and positive relationships. Examples include home visiting, cooperative designs in programs (i.e. Co-Ops), parenting support groups, etc.

We know from engaging with the content included in this section and Chapter 9 as a whole that teachers have strengths and expectations, and families have strengths and expectations. What if they do not match? For the success and support of the children, it is essential that we work to build bridges to work together so that children are safe and healthy and can learn optimally. Working together with the family, it is our goal to create a safe, rich, and supportive environment for learning.

9.2.3 Strengths-Based Relationships

Approaching our work from a position of strength will help us scaffold learning for children and families by identifying opportunities and possibilities for growth. This is called a strengths-based approach (Dweck, 2016) . With this approach, we meet the child and/or family where they are and build!

Focus on what I CAN do and the possibilities, and not what I am not yet able to do, or the “deficits.”

Conversely, a deficit approach begins with identifying “problems, issues, and difficulties.” The deficit approach emphasizes or focuses on the child’s perceived weakness. It also blames the child or attributes the child’s challenges to the “failures” or bad choices of their family or community. By leading with problems, we are more likely to get stuck and only see the negatives and are likely not being open to the innate potential of the child and family (Kasprisin, 2015).

Think about the following three strategies to build and strengthen your connection for optimal strengths-based relationships:

• Your partnership should be based on reciprocity. Each of us, school, family, and community, has overlapping responsibilities for the child’s learning. Each person involved in the partnership needs the help of the others to build a reciprocal relationship that is supported by both formal and informal attitudes and actions. All parties working together with overlapping responsibilities make it more likely that the child will thrive.
• Effective partnerships are developed within a democratic process. We must recognize the diversity within our classroom (different races, cultures, interests, and abilities) of participants, and we need to prepare ourselves to resolve conflicts using a respectful and positive approach that includes open conversation and compromise and sometimes benefits from mediation and negotiation to reach shared goals.
• Opportunities for partnership should be plentiful and varied. A mix of possibilities might include options such as:
  • Having parents come to school to share interests.
  • Inviting parents to come to see what children are doing regularly.
  • Offering opportunities to volunteer in the classroom.
  • Providing information and resources for family support.
  • Creating a “place at the table” for decision-making.
  • Attending parenting education events with topics chosen by the parents.
  • Become a part of their community or learn about their community.
  • Providing strategies and tools that support children to learn at home and in the [GL]community.

Remember, to do these things, you will need to know about the families you serve. It is important to ask families if and how they want to be involved. Ask them what a meaningful experience would look like for them and when might be the best time for them to be involved.

Do not make assumptions about how a family could help you, but identify their strengths and offer appropriate opportunities. For example, just because you need a bulletin board completed does not mean a parent would find the volunteer opportunity of cutting out a border meaningful. At the same time, donning gloves and giving cleaning tools to clean an empty room may not be respectful or inclusive to a parent who wants to volunteer in the classroom to spend more time with their own child. An inventory of actions and activities that families could choose from would be one way to approach the list of what needs to be accomplished.

A robust interview, orientation to the program, questionnaires, and surveys about the family will help you to gather information. Remember that not all families may feel comfortable reading and writing in English, so be sure to arrange for translators or engage with other strategies based on individual family needs (Breiseth, 2020). Invite families to engage with the program through newsletters, flyers, or an actual invitation from the children in the classroom. Be creative! Engage the children in the process as appropriate, remember the cultural considerations your families identify while you are building your partnerships and focus on creating positive, strengths-based relationships. You will all benefit, but in the end, it is about the benefit for the children.

Building a sense of community goes beyond a simple partnership with families. In a classroom, we are connected by the common interest or purpose of quality education and services for young children. This is our community of learners. To enhance the educational experience of the young children we serve, we work to make each child and family feel valued and connected and that they belong.

 

9.3 The Importance of Professionalism in ECE as We Relate to Families

As you will learn in Chapter 11, you should note that included in the NAEYC Power to the Profession (P2P) Unifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education Profession document is guidance that supports us in striving to build this profession (Power to the Profession Task Force, 2020). P2P guides us to engage in professionalism in a way that elevates the knowledge and skills of families and communities. NAEYC expects that ECE professionals respect the professional and ethical obligation to develop relationship with all families and the communities we serve, paying particular attention to those from diverse cultures, languages, and experiences that are often marginalized.

To do this, it is essential in our work to create opportunities with families that value their experiences, views, beliefs, and current world views. When we actively integrate this knowledge of our families in the curriculum and the classroom, it ensures that we are more able to respect, learn about, understand, and embrace families’ cultures and communities; and supports us in building stronger [GL]partnership and connections with families and communities with the end goal of supporting all children.

According to NAEYC’s P2P (Power to the Profession Task Force, 2020), the guidelines for early childhood educators that relate to our connections with families include: (a) identify and participate as members of the early childhood profession. They serve as informed advocates for young children, for the families of the children in their care, and for the early childhood profession, and

(c) have professional communication skills that effectively support their relationship and work with young children, families, and colleagues.

Building a sense of community goes beyond a simple partnership with families. In a classroom, we are connected by the common interest or purpose of quality education and services for young children. This is our community of learners. To enhance the educational experience of the young children we serve, we work to make each child and family feel valued, and connected, and that they “belong.”

Here are some thoughts about questions to get you started:

Sometimes teachers, providers and ECE professionals are challenged with cultural differences between themselves and the families we serve, viewing cultural differences as challenges to overcome when working with families. To address this belief, it is important to focus on the potential resources available in the community.

We’ve included some questions to ask yourself before you talk with families. It is essential to your success in building relationships with families that are positive and supportive:

• What are your beliefs and practices related to working with culturally and ethnically diverse children and families?
• What resources do you need to support your growth in learning about what culture is, and how to work with diverse families?
• In addition to learning from the families in your program, where in your community will you find support and resources to learn to build positive and strong relationships?

Here are some examples of questions you might ask families. Make time and space to discuss cultural differences in a positive, respectful way.

• Tell me about your cultural beliefs related to parenting.
• How do you approach child independence in daily routines?
• Do you have family beliefs and practices about displaying photos of the children and families?
• Would you be willing to work with me to create classroom labels, dictations, and signs reflecting the children’s first languages?
• Is there anything you would like to share with us about touch and personal space?
• How can we best communicate with you about your child?

What questions you would add to the list as a teacher or as a parent:

9.3.1 Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) and Our Work with Families

“Knowledge from families is essential to developmentally appropriate practice.” Rhian Evans Allvin (2018, para. 5)

Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) is an early childhood teaching approach from NAEYC that states “each and every child, birth through age 8, has the right to equitable learning opportunities… that fully support their optimal development and learning across all domains and content areas” (NAEYC, 2020, p. 1). In a DAP approach, the teacher supports the child’s development (socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively) based on their knowledge of each child. This knowledge is used to make appropriate decisions about classroom materials, appropriate interactions, and learning experiences that are most likely to be effective and support the development and learning of the group and each individual child.

The DAP position statement from NAEYC also guides expectations for our work with families. DAP Guideline #2 is Engaging in Reciprocal Partnerships with Families and Fostering Community Connections. This Guideline states:

Developmentally appropriate practice requires deep knowledge about each child, including the context within which each child is living. Educators acquire much of this knowledge through respectful, [GL]reciprocal relationships with children’s families. Across all ages, families’ expertise about their own children is sought out and valued. (NAEYC, 2020, p. 18)

The DAP statement also discusses the expectation for early childhood professionals to “take responsibility for forming and maintaining strong relationships with families and communities” (NAEYC, 2020, p. 18). It is believed that these professional relationships act to support the individual needs and experiences that each child requires for success in the classroom and in life. Additionally, it is through respectful and reciprocal relationship with families that programs and teachers build a foundation of collaboration, mutual respect, and shared responsibility that will help families achieve their goals. This is a critical consideration that helps to build opportunities for regular communication and interactions with the family and provides a structure for families to share preferences and concerns about their child(ren).

When we build partnership with families that are responsive, respectful, and reciprocal{/GL], we need to remember that this begins with strengths and abilities, seeing possibilities and opportunities before we identify difficulties and challenges that a child or family is facing.

This chapter will close by discussing resources for children and families. When you intentionally involve families in your program, utilize each family as a source of information about their child, and know your community, you will be better able to provide appropriate resources related to the family’s priorities and concerns.

9.4 Engaging Families in Meaningful Ways

9.4.1 Connecting with Families to Create a Sense of Community

The connection between a child’s home and early learning program is an important connection for the growth and well-being of the child. In a quality program, the family and program would function as a partnership, sharing and planning together. This requires the family to be fully engaged with the program.

In a high-quality early learning program, connecting with families in a meaningful way involves a cooperative and asset-based approach where early childhood professionals, families, and children work together to establish positive and purposeful connections. It is a partnership between both families and the program staff which requires the recognition and appreciation of each other’s roles and abilities. Family engagement emphasizes the development of culturally and linguistically responsive relationships with significant family members in a child’s existence.

9.4.2 Building Community

To build community with families, and function in effective and meaningful ways, we must be able to communicate effectively and inclusively (Epstein et al., 2002). Inclusive communication refers to an approach aimed at establishing communication using all available means to understand and to be understood. We need to broaden the options for communication so that we can be sure that the family receives and understands our messages and that we receive and understand what they want us to know about them or their child. To be inclusive, we need to be aware of the challenges to communication that children or their families face. There are families who speak languages other than English and who have hearing, vision, or reading challenges or disabilities. Some families may not have access to a car to come to school, and some families may not have a computer or internet account to send and receive email. Effective and inclusive educators also understand that there is diversity in culture and language use as well. People communicate differently, and a variety of strategies may be needed to help smooth communication.

Some general examples of thoughtful strategies for inclusive communication to use with families include:

• Ask families how they would like to receive information from you- whether it is best to email, call, text, or meet in person.
• Ask what time of day is best and try to connect at that time.
• Be flexible! If one communication method does not work, try another.
• Be patient and allow time to respond or react. Try counting silently to allow for processing, finishing a sentence, or answering your question.
• Engage as many senses as appropriate—hearing, sight, and touch.
• Limit background noise and music.
• Look and speak directly to the child or parent. Face the person and do not cover your face so that they can read the cues on your face or read your lips.
• Make sure only one person is speaking at a time- do not talk over another.
• Speak slowly and clearly with shorter sentences, but do not talk down to the child or parent.
• Use visual supports (picture schedules, photos of daily routines, social stories) gestures, and body language along with words.
• Use interpreters if a family is not comfortable speaking the same language as the teacher. (Do not put a child in the position of translating, but ask for a family member, friend, or [GL]community resource to translate the information.)

To build an effective community, it is essential that we focus on equity. Equity is the extermination of privilege, oppression, inequalities, and disadvantage through fair and impartial treatment. Equity is not equal or one-size-fits-all. Equity is working with each child and family to individualize and differentiate strengths and areas for growth to create a plan that gives each what is needed to grow and thrive (NAEYC, 2019) . In this intentional and meaningful engagement, equity-based opportunities can also serve to help family members to be effective advocates for their child(ren). In considering equity in your approach, remember translation, interpretation, working with cultural groups as partners, and recognizing the importance of building (and even rebuilding) trust with families who face discrimination and bias. For family engagement to be meaningful, it must be equitable.

Family-teacher conferences and family events are common strategies for partnering with families in classrooms and programs. We need to remember that the main and essential factor in family engagement is to build strong, positive, and effective relationships with families that can help children and families thrive. Family-teacher conferences also support the first NAEYC principle of family engagement: “Programs invite families to participate in decision making and goal setting for their child” (NAEYC, n.d., para. 4). These planned and intentional times to meet are opportunities to share information about the child’s experiences, development, and learning. It is also the time to plan what can be done at home and at school to support the child’s continuing progress.

Consider these things when planning and preparing for conferences and events:

• Accommodate different languages.
• Discuss different experiences.
• Learn about and consider cultural norms.
• Plan for varied schedules.
• Share different kinds of information.
• Let the family speak. They come to us with knowledge about their child and family.

9.4.3 Family Involvement vs. Family Engagement

Take another look at the definitions for family involvement and family engagement, and notice how they are the same and how they are different:

Family involvement is parent participation in educational systems and learning activities that foster a child’s well-being. It involves conscious and intentional attempts to provide information to families and to encourage them to participate in their child’s learning. This strategy simply involves families in education in some way. The “unintended consequence” of this approach can be that parents are seen basically as helpers who follow the teacher’s directions. They are not seen as valuable partners in their child’s education.

Family engagement is a more holistic and intentional approach in which the responsibility for supporting the child’s learning falls on the parents, siblings, relatives, teachers, friends, and the community; all play a critical function in continuing and reciprocal engagement. Family engagement involves the teacher building relationships with families, learning from the families how they would prefer to be involved in their child’s learning, and working with families to understand and plan how they choose to be engaged. This would include desired times and methods for sharing information about the child’s experiences. Family engagement offers a broad variety of approaches and activities that can be offered at home, in the community, or in the classroom or program.

In the pursuit of quality in our work, we strive for intentional family engagement. While doing this work, it is important to consider family-sensitive environments. The concept of being family sensitiverelationship implies that the teachers, providers, and other early learning professionals will exhibit positive and respectful attitudes towards families. Knowledge about each individual family, their strengths, the experiences in their lives, and the values and beliefs that influence their decisions, along with responsive practices with families, are the foundation for supporting and building positive parent and child outcomes. Included within this context is a specific focus on supporting families by acting as a resource to empower them to promote their child(ren)’s healthy development. These relationships with families also focus on reciprocal information sharing and empowerment of families by building mutual respect.

Appreciating what families bring to the program is a significant construct of family engagement. Because families are the experts on their children, each parent/family has specific expertise to contribute. Parents know how a child interacts with others and how the child responds to new people and situations. Parents know what a child is interested in and likes to play with. Parents also know about and can share how a child expresses his or her wants and needs. Families also bring to the program their individual pride in raising their children along with an understanding of the challenges that are inherent in the job of parenting. Parents come into a program with their own specific needs for support and information. An important element of our relationship-building process with families is to identify and build upon the strengths of the individuals involved. This will demonstrate respect, show appreciation, and value for the contributions of the family in support of the child.

 

9.4.4 Equity

We talked early in the chapter about stressors families face. Equity and equality are also considered stressors that we need to understand and consider as we engage in our work with families.

Did you know that equality and equity have different definitions and meanings? It is important to understand the differences as we engage in our work with children and families (Ferlazzo, 2023). Embracing equity means that we engage in fair and impartial approaches to disregard privilege, oppression, inequalities, and disadvantage. Equity is not equal or one-size-fits-all. Equity is working with each child and family to individualize and differentiate strengths and areas for growth to create a plan that gives each what is needed to grow and thrive. In this intentional and meaningful engagement, equity-based opportunities can also serve to help family members to be effective advocates for their child(ren). In considering equity in your approach, remember translation and interpretation, work with cultural groups as partners, and recognize the importance of building (and even rebuilding) trust with families who face discrimination and bias. For family engagement to be meaningful, it must be equitable .

On the other hand, equality IS one-size-fits-all. It is equal and gives everyone the same thing. While seemingly well-meaning, equality misses the mark in meeting the individual and unique needs of children and/or their families.

To assist in your understanding of the difference between equality and equity, you are encouraged to reflect on the following image:

The first panel shows three individuals, each standing on the same size (equal) boxes and reaching for fruit on the tree branch. In this image, all 3 have the same size box,but not all individuals can reach the fruit. In the second panel (equity), each individual is provided with the size box they require to reach the fruit. We need to remember the importance of (equity) in providing all of our services to children and families so that they can get what they need in order to thrive and succeed!

Let’s apply that concept of (equity) specifically for an ECE program. Family-teacher conferences and family events are common strategies for engaging families in classrooms and programs. We need to remember that the main and essential factor in family engagement is to build strong, positive, and effective relationships with families that can help children and families thrive. Family-teacher conferences also support the first NAEYC principle of family engagement[GL/]: “Programs invite families to participate in decision making and goal setting for their child” (NAEYC, n.d., para. 4). These planned and intentional times to meet are opportunities to share information about the child’s experiences, development, and learning. It is also the time to plan what can be done at home and at school to support the child’s continuing progress.

Going a step further is the concept of justice. Justice is not just about meeting requirements. It demands proactive and transformative measures to create equitable structures and systems that sustain justice. Only by taking these steps can we ensure fairness and equality for all. Taking that step towards justice begins to address systemic attitudes and changes.

9.4.5 Overcoming Conflicts

“You and I are in a relationship which I value and want to keep. Yet each of us is a separate person with our own unique values and needs and the right to meet those needs. So that we will better know and understand what each of us values and needs, let us always be open and honest in our communication.”

Thomas Gordon, an American philosopher and psychologist, 1964/1978 (as cited in Adams, 2021, para. 6)

When it comes to children, there are no two parties more invested than parents and teachers. Unfortunately, these emotions can cause tensions to run high when there are many sources of potential conflict in the school setting. Regardless of your good intentions and how carefully you plan, conflicts might arise as you and the families you serve work to build relationships and create your communication plans and strategies. Most commonly, conflicts are the result of a lack of understanding of one (or all) of the following: background, culture, language, and/or beliefs (Mosier & Nunamaker, 2019). When conflicts arise, we need to remember two general goals:

1. End the disagreement.
2. Preserve the relationship.

Regardless of your goal, good communication will be a key strategy and is the best approach for a positive outcome. Following the conflict resolution, it will be important for you and possibly your team at the program or center to meet and review policies, rules, and assumptions that have been in place. Discuss program expectations for families with your administrator and other staff, be open to assessing what is necessary, what is in place because “it’s how we’ve always done it,” what is a preferred practice or approach, and what is your own personal taste.

When rules and expectations are kept realistic, and to a minimum, the opportunity for conflict is also minimized. This will lead to a more collaborative environment and allow for communication that improves and increases family engagement. Stay positive and remember that reciprocal relationships are more likely to involve the co-creation of a mutually healthy vs. those in which one role tries to set the framework with extensive rules and consequences and expects the other to go along with their plan.

For example, consider involving your families in developing or updating policies. This will show families that you respect them and appreciate their presence, as well as convey a sense of respect and belonging. This also will most likely encourage more acceptance of the policies and expectations that have been developed together.

9.5 Challenges and Barriers to Connecting with Families

Figure 9.9

9.5.1 Identifying Barriers

We know that 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.

9.5.2 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 non-judgmental support.

9.5.3 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. You will find 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, your role clearly states your responsibility as a mandated reporter. According to Wash. Rev. Code § 26.44.030 (1965) in Washington state, this means that you 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 you 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 you must not investigate on your own (n.d.).

You should include a clear and detailed conversation about this mandate in your staff and parent orientation processes. You want to create a culture of safety where you operate with shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices with the intent of zero harm to children. It is important that you review your goal of partnership and working together in family engagement and communicate to families that you are not “out to get them.”

Tough decisions about inclusion in the 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. in your orientation process. 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 is always a variety of ways to meet those needs.

9.6 Community Resources for Families

9.6.1 Identifying Needs

We have mentioned that families need community support. There are a wide variety of ways that communities can support families and their local school districts. Many school districts form committees to reach out to local businesses for support (Epstein et al., 2002). For some, this might look like donations for school events, but it can also be used in other ways. For example, if there is a school district that has the children of a large factory or business in their catchment area and few parents are coming to the school to volunteer or to attend events and conferences, the school might work with the factory on how to make it possible for parents to be at the schools more often without fear of losing their jobs.

Some factories could close one day for conferences, allow paid time off, or allow parents to request release time from work for when they want or need to be at school events. There have also been businesses that have events like a “Lunch and Learn,” in which the business brings in a qualified community member to talk about how to prepare your child for kindergarten, how to engage in enrichment activities on the weekends, how to find quality child care in the area, etc.

In identifying needs and supports we can look to Urie Broffenbrenner and the theory of ecological systems. Brofennbrenner’s theory states that “human development unfolds in a nested set of systems involving cultural, social, economic, and political elements, not merely psychological ones. These systems and their interactions can nurture or stifle optimal development” (Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, n.d.). Taking this approach, we can help families create a visual model of their existing supports and then identify gaps where support is needed. Your model might look something like this:

Figure 9.11

Author-Created Image of an Eco Map

9.6.2 Community Supports for Families

Communities can also help families by providing new crosswalks with traffic lights on busy streets for families who need to walk to school or maybe organizing walking school bus groups in neighborhoods for those who live too close for bus service. There are also public health departments that can arrange for vaccine days or dental health check days in schools. Social service workers can be available to help families who may need to apply for nutrition assistance or state medical insurance or help to pay utility bills, etc. When families, communities, businesses, and schools work together; children benefit and the community thrives. The possibilities are endless when there is a willingness for community entities to communicate and brainstorm ways to support children and families.

As part of your ongoing work with families, building partnerships, and engaging them in their child’s education, you may become aware of resources that the family could benefit from. What are the resources available in your community or beyond that you could share contact information about with families?

Consider these broad categories, to build a resource list for your use with children and their families:

a) Basic family needs such as food, shelter, and clothing. Where are your community food and/or clothing banks? Where could you refer a family for housing support?

b) Cultural and language support for families. Our classrooms represent children and families from multiple languages and multiple cultures. It is important to identify those in your community whom you can turn to for information and support. Are there interpreters and translators available? Is there a community organization that focuses on specific and individual cultures for support?

c) Developmental support and referrals. Teachers monitor child development as part of an ongoing curriculum and assessment cycle. When you identify possible concerns, or a parent shares concerns with you, where can you refer for assessment?

d) Resources for medical needs and challenges. Families sometimes do not know where to access medical help or insurance. What are the health care services and supports available nearby?

9.7 Summary

A positive relationship with families, along with a program that is committed to family engagement, is vital to a child’s success in school and life. This includes parents, teachers, schools, and the community, and is uniquely important in the earliest years of a child’s education. We know that children need support and guidance as they are developing skills across all domains: motor, social, emotional, physical, and cognitive, both at home and school. Our work has also demonstrated the essential need for educators to build relationships with families. These strong and nurtured relationships will support parents in growing their understanding of how they can support their child’s learning from the classroom and in their home.

Parent engagement and positive relationships between home and school support improvement in children’s health, well-being, and cognitive, academic, and social skills. There is also a positive influence that works to decrease challenging behaviors in children. Family engagement has also been shown to increase parent satisfaction with early childhood services.

We have all heard the saying that it takes a village to raise a child. This includes the continued support from that village to boost success as the child enters school. When there is a strong [GL]partnership between family,school, and community, the child will benefit from a multi-faceted approach for success. Additionally, when early care and education programs encourage parental participation in learning activities, provide opportunities to advocate and guide policies, and form partnership with local organizations, there are life-long benefits to children, families, programs, and communities.

A shared understanding and commitment between families and educators will create the conditions where a love of learning can develop in our youngest students. Children gain the benefit of success advocates when their families and community members are involved in their learning. Advocacy supports children in improving their skills in all areas and gaining advocates that promote their success, thus supporting their social, emotional, and cognitive skills and enhancing their ability to feel more confident at school and in life.

References

Adams, M. (2021, December 20). A helpful guide to better relationships. Gordon Training International. https://www.gordontraining.com/leadership/a-helpful-guide-to-better-relationships/

Allvin, R. E. (2018). Making connections: The professional obligation to value families. Young Children, 73(4). https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/sep2018/professional-obligation-value-families

American Federation of Teachers. (2010). Building parent-teacher partnerships. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED516935.pdf

American Psychological Association. (2019, October). Racial stress and self-care: Parent tip tool. RESilience: Uplifting Youth Through Healthy Communication About Race. https://www.apa.org/res/parent-resources/racial-stress

Arce, S. (2019). Exploring parent and teacher perceptions of family engagement. International Journal of Teacher Leadership, 10(2), 82-94. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1244923.pdf

Baker, T. L., Wise, J., Kelley, G., & Skiba, R. J. (2016). Identifying barriers: Creating solutions to improve family engagement. School Community Journal, 26(2), 161-184. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1124003.pdf

Breiseth, L. (2020). Communicating with ELL families: 10 strategies for schools. Colorín Colorado, WETA Public Broadcasting. https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/ells-families

Breiseth, L., Robertson, K., & Lafond, S. (2015). Introduction: Strategies for engaging ELL families. Colorín Colorado, WETA Public Broadcasting. https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/introduction-strategies-engaging-ell-families

Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research. (n.d.) Urie Bronfenbrenner. Cornell Human Ecology, Cornell University. https://bctr.cornell.edu/about-us/urie-bronfenbrenner

Calzada, E. J., Huang, K. Y., Hernandez, M., Soriano, E., Acra, C. F., Dawson-McClure, S., Kamboukos, D., & Brotman, L. (2015). Family and teacher characteristics as predictors of parent involvement in education during early childhood among Afro-Caribbean and Latino immigrant families. Urban Education, 50(7), 870–896. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085914534862

Center on the Developing Child. (n.d.). How racism can affect child development. Harvard University. https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/racism-and-ecd/

Dewey, R. A. (2018). Psychology: An introduction. Psych Web. https://www.psywww.com/intropsych/

Ðurišic, M., & Bunijevac, M. (2017). Parental involvement as a important factor for successful education. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 7(3), 137-153. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1156936

Dweck, C. S. (2016). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.

Epstein, J. L., Sanders, M. G., Simon, B. S., Clark Salinas, K., Rodriguez Jansorn, N., & Van Voorhis, F. L. (2002). School, family, and community partnerships: A handbook for action (2nd ed.). Corwin Press. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/ERIC-ED467082/pdf/ERIC-ED467082.pdf

Essien, I., & Wood, J. L. (2024). “Treat them like human beings”: Black children’s experiences with racial microaggressions in early childhood education during COVID-19. Early Childhood Education Journal, 52, 825–836. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01466-y

Ferlazzo, L. (2023, November 24). There’s a difference between equity and equality. Schools need to understand that. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-theres-a-difference-between-equity-and-equality-schools-need-to-understand-that/2023/11

González, N., Moll, L. C., & Amanti, C. (Eds). (2005). Funds of knowledge: Theorizing practices in households, communities, and classrooms. Routledge.

Guy-Evans, O. (2024). Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. Simply Psychology.org. Retrieved December 1, 2023, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/bronfenbrenner.html

Head Start Early Childhood Learning Knowledge Center (n.d.). Family engagement. Retrieved May 13, 2024, from https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/family-engagement

Hunter, R. (2018, June 20). Thinking about racial equity at DCYF. Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families. https://dcyf.wa.gov/node/496

IRIS Center. (n.d.) What should teachers understand in order to address student diversity in their classrooms? Vanderbilt University. https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/div/cresource/q2/p05/ CC BY NC ND.

Kasprisin, L. (2015). Challenging the deficit model and the pathologizing of children: Envisioning alternative models. Journal of Educational Controversy, 9(1), 1-4. https://cedar.wwu.edu/jec/vol9/iss1/1/

Lankachandra, D., Gomez, C., Leiwant, S., & Make, J. (2022, March). Sick without a safety net: Now is the time to build on state successes with a federal paid sick time law. A Better Balance. https://www.abetterbalance.org/sick-without-a-safety-net/

Lipari, R. N., & Van Horn, S. L. (2017, August 24). Children living with parents who have a substance use disorder. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_3223/ShortReport-3223.html

Mackey, C. (2023, March 13). The labyrinth of identity: An individual’s accounting of her journey through the AMS ABAR course. Montessori Life, American Montessori Society. https://main-cd-prod.amshq.org/Blog/2023-03-13-The-Labyrinth-of-Identity-An-Individuals-Accounting-of-the-AMS-ABAR-Course

McLean, S. (2018, May). Developmental differences in children who have experienced adversity (Practice Guide 1). Child Family Community Australia, Australian Institute of Family Studies. https://aifs.gov.au/resources/practice-guides/developmental-differences-children-who-have-experienced-adversity-guide-no1

Mosier, W., & Nunamaker, R. G. C. (2019). Handling difficult moments with demanding families. Exchange. https://exchangepress.com/article/handling-difficult-moments-with-demanding-families/5025061/

Muthusamy, S., Wagh, D., Tan, J., Bulsara, M., & Rao, S. (2022). Utility of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire to identify developmental delay in children aged 12 to 60 months: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics, 176(10), 980–989. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.3079

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.). Principles of effective family engagement. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/topics/family-engagement/principles

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2019, April). Advancing equity
in early childhood education. https://www.naeyc.org/sites/default/files/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/resources/position-statements/advancingequitypositionstatement.pdf

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2020). Developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) position statement. https://www.naeyc.org/sites/default/files/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/resources/position-statements/dap-statement_0.pdf

Nomaguchi, K., & Milkie, M. A. (2020). Parenthood and well-being: A decade in review. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(1), 198-223. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12646

Power to the Profession Task Force. (2020, March). Unifying framework for the early childhood education profession. Power to the Profession. https://powertotheprofession.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Power-to-Profession-Framework-03312020-web.pdf

Sue, D. W. (2010). Microaggressions in everyday life: Race, gender, and sexual orientation. John Wiley & Sons.

Walker, T. (2019, April). Where do teachers get the most respect? NEA Today. https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/where-do-teachers-get-most-respect

Warsi, S. (2017). Welcoming refugee children into early childhood classrooms. Teaching Young Children, 10(5). https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/aug2017/welcoming-refugee-children-into-classrooms

Washington Department of Commerce. (2019). Mounting costs of child care. https://www.commerce.wa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/MountingCostsReport_FINAL.pdf

Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families. (n.d.). Mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect. Retrieved May 13, 2024, from https://www.dcyf.wa.gov/safety/mandated-reporter

Websites to explore for further information and learning:

The 8 P’s of Parent Engagement, National Education Association (NEA)

Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP), NAEYC

Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC)

How to Report Child Abuse or Neglect, Washington State Departmet of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF)

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

Parent Engagement in Schools, Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Parent to Parent USA (P2P)

Principles of Effective Family Engagement, NAEYC

Power to the Profession, NAEYC

Racial Stress and Self-care: Parent Tip Tool, APA

Raising the Bar for Parent Partnership and Engagement, U.S. Department of Education