Goals of Family Engagement
Strong family engagement is critical for healthy social-emotional development, helping children prepare for the transition to school and future academic success. The Office of Early Childhood Development tells us:
“Families are children’s first, longest lasting, and most important teachers, advocates, and nurturers. Positive parenting and strong family engagement is central– not supplemental– to promoting children’s healthy development and wellness… Families’ engagement in children’s learning at home and in early care and education programs can impact lifelong health, developmental and academic outcomes.”
The Maryland Early Childhood Family Engagement Framework outlines seven goals of family engagement. According to the framework, family engagement initiatives should:
- Promote family well-being: helping families create healthy, safe, and secure environments.
- Promote positive parent–child relationships: helping families build nurturing relationships with their children.
- Support families as lifelong educators of their children: empowering families in their efforts to educate their children.
- Support the educational aspirations of parents and families: helping families meet their own educational goals to better support their children.
- Support families through the care and education transitions of early childhood: supporting families navigate transitions to new classrooms, programs, and school settings.
- Connect families to their peers and to the community: helping families make connections to professional and personal support and resources.
- Support the development of families as leaders and child advocates: giving families the tools they need to speak for themselves in multiple environments.
Take some time over the next few weeks to reflect on your program’s family engagement efforts. Identify the things that the program does well and the areas that could be strengthened in the coming school year.
For the main article Family Engagement Strategies, CLICK HERE
For the article Engaging with Diverse Families, CLICK HERE
For the article Family Engagement in the Classroom, CLICK HERE
For the article Program Strategies for Family Engagement, CLICK HERE
