Goal-setting with Families Course
Explore this three-module course to learn about the knowledge, skills, and practices family services professionals need to engage in the family partnership process and goal setting with families.
Goal Setting
Family goal setting is essential to the work of Head Start programs. It relies on the information that program staff gather through assessments and ongoing communication, such as the families’ strengths, passions, and challenges. As relationships are built and strong partnerships formed, Head Start staff help families set goals and work together to make progress toward those goals.
Successful goal setting is done in seven steps in the context of the Family Partnership Process. Explore these resources to learn more about goal setting with families.
Education and Career
Learn to support families’ goals around career pathways, finding a new job, getting a GED or high school diploma, accessing job training, pursuing and paying for college and higher education, or starting a business.
Debt and Credit
Learn to support families’ goals around accessing and reviewing credit reports and scores, building credit, managing debt and student loan debt, and avoiding predatory loans and identity theft.
Savings and Assets
Learn how to support families’ goals around building savings, buying a car, buying a home, saving for education, and saving for retirement.
Income and Spending
Learn to support families' goals around choosing financial products, making and using a budget, accessing public benefits, paying bills, filing taxes, and accessing tax credits.
How the Planning Cycle Helped a Program Achieve a Key Goal
This Management Minute video shares how one Head Start program used the program planning cycle to achieve a key goal.
Develop Short- and Long-Term Well-Being Goals
Read examples of supporting families to develop specific short- and long-term goals for well-being, along with reflective questions to strengthen this practice.
The Family Partnership Process: Engaging Families in Economic Mobility Goal-Setting
This video gives Head Start program staff strategies to help build rapport, recognize family priorities, and develop an action plan with families.
Career Goals: Exploration and Next Steps
This video gives Head Start program staff tangible ways to discover families’ strengths, career interests, and ways to leverage families’ skills as they explore career options.
Goal-Setting to Make Progress Toward Outcomes
Explore the six phases and seven steps of goal-setting with families through a case scenario.