7/2014
The National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement NCPFCE is pleased to offer the Family Engagement and School Readiness Series for 2014. This month, our featured topic is Family Leadership: Supporting Families as Advocates and Leaders. Parents who embrace these roles can strengthen their Early Head Start or Head Start program services.
Family Leadership: Supporting Families as Advocates and Leaders
Parent leadership and advocacy skills help ensure school readiness for all children, especially those with disabilities. Parents gain these skills by serving as mentors, sharing in program governance, and making recommendations on program goals. Head Start and Early Head Start staff may use the following resources in family development workshops or staff training.
Featured Resources to Support Families as First Teachers
Understanding Family Engagement Outcomes: Families Advocates and Leaders
Engaging parents in decision-making, program committees and events, and policy changes helps them take a more active role in school readiness success. Read this research-based resource for tips to help develop families as advocates and leaders.
Head Start Stories: Maranda Shepherd and Melvena Wilkerson – Developing Parent Leadership Skills
Developing leadership skills in parents can happen in many ways. Read the stories of two parents—Maranda Shepherd and Melvena Wilkerson—as they share their experiences and successes. Use their stories to generate ideas to engage parents as leaders in your own program.
Bringing Families Together: Building Communities
Strong family connections to peers reduce stress, improve family well-being, build parent leadership skills, and ensure better outcomes for children. Watch this video for tips to bring families together and build a strong sense of community.
Parents of children with disabilities benefit from working closely with programs and service providers. This helps them to understand available resources and become better advocates for their children. In this video, a father discusses the services his daughters received. Learn how he and his wife were able to actively participate in their daughters’ education.
Creating Bright Futures Including Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities
How can you create a program that is truly inclusive of infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families? Select Session 1 and download the video file to watch as families, early education staff, and early intervention providers discuss their visions for an inclusion program. Staff and family members support one another, and families become leaders and advocates for their children.
Family Engagement and School Readiness Resources on ECLKC
Visit our Family Engagement and School Readiness page on the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center ECLKC for additional tools and resources.
How to Subscribe
Select this link to subscribe to the series: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/family/center/subscribe-pfce.html
Please share this message with all staff and supervisors in your program who may be interested in participating.
Questions?
Email questions about this series to OHS_PFCE@HSICC.org. Wed love to hear about your programs efforts and progress around this topic.
Source: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center and National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement
Early Childhood News Update 