Ten Key Components: Options for Family Engagement [CPPT, Section 6g]

Many school districts, social service agencies, non-profits and other organizations have implemented family engagement programs in a variety of communities and with differing emphases and priorities. The Harlem Children’s Zone, which provides preschool services along with other educational social and medical services, takes a holistic approach towards actively supporting the well-being of low-income families. By interlacing home visits and family support services with education programs, the program aims to eliminate most troublesome outside circumstances that keep children from succeeding in school.

Many organizations that focus on providing preschool alone have also developed family engagement programs of various types. Head Start is widely known as a pioneer in the area of parent governance, by including parents in the decision-making processes in unprecedented ways. Local Head Start programs support parent involvement committees and parent leadership development strategies to various degrees, depending on the community. Head Start has found that giving parents a voice in the policymaking of the organization not only ensures that parental concerns and preferences influence that policy, but also further invest the family in the development of their children.

This document is part of the California Preschool Planning Toolkit.