Day: July 20, 2018

As you take steps to enhance the level of family engagement in your program, you may benefit from exploring the relationship based competencies identified by Head Start.  Similar to the self-assessment designed for teachers, the Head Start and Early Head Start Relationship-Based Competencies Professional Development Assessment for Supervisors Who Work with Families contains a list of knowledge, skills and actions for supervisors, including:

1. POSITIVE, GOAL-ORIENTED RELATIONSHIPS
   • Demonstrates the ability to support and model ethical practice when interacting with staff and families.
   • Helps staff develop meaningful goals that draw on families’ aspirations for themselves and their children.
2. SELF AWARE AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE RELATIONSHIPS
   • Understands the importance of self-care and educates staff on the connection between self-care and the ability to build successful relationships with families and colleagues.
   • Works with program management to assure that language and culture are respected, materials provided to families are culturally and linguistically appropriate, and training to increase cultural responsiveness is provided for staff.
3. FAMILY WELL-BEING AND FAMILIES AS LEARNERS
   • Demonstrates skills that prevent and resolve conflict amongst staff and/or staff and families.
   • Uses research and family well-being data to drive reflective discussions with staff and discuss alternative courses of action.
4. PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS AND FAMILIES AS LIFELONG EDUCATORS
   • Acknowledges that families are vital to children’s learning and development, and educates staff on school readiness and the important role families play in achieving this.
   • Works with program management to ensure that families have access to information about their child and that the information is understandable and meaningful.
5. FAMILY CONNECTIONS TO PEERS AND COMMUNITY
   • Is knowledgeable and ensures that staff are familiar with resources and opportunities available in the community for both staff and families.
   • Participates in the development of systems of communication which ensure staff are aware of community groups, learning, and volunteer opportunities for families.
6. FAMILY ACCESS TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES
   • Demonstrates leadership and advocacy, particularly as it relates to ensuring that community resources are aligned and available to meet the needs of families.
   • Builds and maintains internal and external professional relationships with community, state, or national groups that will support staff work with families.
7. COORDINATED, INTEGRATED, AND COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES
   • Has the ability to create a positive organizational culture and climate and engage in effective group processes and dynamics.
   • Has the ability to safeguard practices that protect the privacy and confidentiality of families, enabling colleagues to share only pertinent information to enhance services to families.
8. DATA DRIVEN SERVICES AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
   • Helps staff gain knowledge about current research-based practices and integrate those practices into their work as appropriate.
   • Consults with parents and program management on the effectiveness of policy councils and parent committees.
9. FOUNDATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL GROWTH
   • Commits to professional development by setting goals to improve knowledge and understanding of supervision practices.
   • Works on individualized professional development plans and links staff members’ professional goals with related training or educational experiences.

The tool allows you to rate your ability to build relationships with staff and families and support staff as they work with families.  Once you have reflected on the skills included in the assessment, you will have a clearer picture of the professional development path that you need to pursue to build these integral skills.

You can access the full version of the self-assessment document here.

For the main article on Planning for Family Engagement, CLICK HERE.
For the article on Why Focus on Family Engagement, CLICK HERE.
For the article on Goals of Family Engagement Initiatives, CLICK HERE.
For the article on Family Engagement Reflection Tool for Staff, CLICK HERE.

Are you curious about the skills that are necessary to ensure excellent family engagement?  Head Start has created a list of skills or competencies that lead to strong relationships with families.  There are a number of different competencies broken down into the following categories:

1. POSITIVE, GOAL-ORIENTED RELATIONSHIPS
   • Engages in mutually respectful goal-oriented partnerships with families to promote parent-child relationships and family wellbeing.

2. SELF AWARE AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE RELATIONSHIPS
   • Respects and responds appropriately to the culture, language, values, and family structures of each family served.

3. FAMILY WELL-BEING AND FAMILIES AS LEARNERS
   • Supports families’ safety, health, financial stability, life goals, and aspirations.

4. PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS AND FAMILIES AS LIFELONG EDUCATORS
   • Enhances the parent-child relationship, and supports parents’ role as the first and lifelong educators of their children.

5. FAMILY CONNECTIONS TO PEERS AND COMMUNITY
   • Facilitates networks and group activities that support families’ strengths, interests, and needs

6. FAMILY ACCESS TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES
   • Supports families in using community resources that enhance family well-being and children’s learning and development.

7. COORDINATED, INTEGRATED, AND COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES
   • Acts as a member of a comprehensive services team so that family service activities are coordinated and integrated throughout the program

8. DATA DRIVEN SERVICES AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
   • Collects and analyzes information to find new solutions to challenges as part of ongoing monitoring in order to continuously improve services.

9. FOUNDATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL GROWTH
   • Actively participates in opportunities for continuous professional development.

If you are interested in exploring the competencies or completing the self-assessment, you can access the entire document here.

For the main article on Planning for Family Engagement, CLICK HERE.
For the article on Why Focus on Family Engagement, CLICK HERE.
For the article on Goals of Family Engagement Initiatives, CLICK HERE.
For the article on Director’s Corner Family Engagement Competencies for Supervisors, CLICK HERE.

When starting a new project or initiative, it is a good idea to create a few goals to help guide your planning. Each new initiative or activity can then be aligned with one or more of the goals to ensure that every effort is focused and purposeful.

In the Early Childhood Family Engagement Framework Toolkit: Maryland’s Vision for Engaging Families with Young Children, the developers identified 7 goals for family engagement initiatives:

1. Family engagement initiatives should promote family well-being
2. Family engagement initiatives should promote positive parent – child relationships
3. Family engagement initiatives should support families as lifelong educators of their children
4. Family engagement initiatives should support the educational aspirations of parents and families
5. Family engagement initiatives should support families through the care and education transitions of early childhood
6. Family engagement initiatives should connect families to their peers and the community
7. Family engagement initiatives should support the development of families as leaders and advocates

To gather more information about these goals and meaningful ways to achieve them, access the MSDE Family Engagement Toolkit here.

For the main article on Planning for Family Engagement, CLICK HERE.
For the article on Why Focus on Family Engagement, CLICK HERE.
For the article on Family Engagement Reflection Tool for Staff, CLICK HERE.
For the article on Director’s Corner Family Engagement Competencies for Supervisors, CLICK HERE.

Strengthening relationships with families has positive impacts on children, family members, educators, and overall program outcomes.

Families are their children’s first teachers. However, some parents may not be completely confident or have a deep understanding of child development and developmentally appropriate practices that educators receive through schooling and years of experience.  By working together, family members and program staff can create learning environments and expectations (both at home and in the early learning space) that fit the needs of each child in the program.

While family members learn new ways of supporting their young learners, educators strengthen their cultural competence as they interact with diverse families with unique needs.  This means that families are able to capitalize on more learning opportunities at home and teachers develop skills necessary to work effectively with diverse populations.

Teachers act as a link to the community services that families may require.  These range from early intervention programs to medical and social service agencies.  These services provide resources, education, and support that can strengthen children and families.  In some cases, these service providers can partner with programs to deliver services within the child care facility, as is often done with early intervention services.  Staff members gain valuable knowledge and skills through interactions with these special educators and therapists.

Programs benefit from this unified force advocating for high-quality care and living wage initiatives at the state and even national level.  Programs with strong family engagement also benefit from the word of mouth marketing that families provide as they share their positive experiences with other members of the community.

Strong family engagement has been shown to have positive outcomes for children as well.  Researchers have linked higher language acquisition, stronger social emotional skills, and overall improved school readiness to family engagement initiatives.  In older children, family engagement is linked to better attendance and graduation rates.

Early education is the perfect time to create strong relationships with families and help them establish the engagement habits that can follow the child through elementary school and beyond.

For the main article on Planning for Family Engagement, CLICK HERE.
For the article on Goals of Family Engagement Initiatives, CLICK HERE.
For the article on Family Engagement Reflection Tool for Staff, CLICK HERE.
For the article on Director’s Corner Family Engagement Competencies for Supervisors, CLICK HERE.