In family partnerships, program staff and families build ongoing, reciprocal, and respectful relationships. Program staff value families' unique expertise about their children. Staff engage in regular communication with families to understand their goals for their children and themselves and work toward those goals together.
Families' goals, among others, may include:
- Obtaining a job
- Seeking housing stability
- Advancing their education
- Developing their own advocacy and leadership skills
- Contributing their skills and strengths to Head Start programs
Key Resources
- Relationship-Based Competencies to Support Family Engagement
- PFCE Simulation Series: Boosting School Readiness through Effective Family Engagement
- Building Partnerships: Guide to Developing Relationships with Families
- Family and Community Partnerships for School Readiness
- Program Environments: Responsive Programming for Migrant Families
Research
- Blue-Banning, M., Summers, J., Frankland, H., Nelson, L, Beegle, G. (2004). Dimensions of Family and Professional Partnerships: Constructive Guidelines for Collaboration. Exceptional Children, 70(2), 167-184 [PDF, 88KB]
- Sheridan, S., Knoche, L. L., Edwards, C. P., Bovaird, J. A., Kupzyk, K. A. (2010). Parent Engagement and School Readiness: Effects of the Getting Ready Intervention on Preschool Children's Social-Emotional Competencies. Early Education and Development
- Webster-Stratton, C., Reid, M.J., & Hammond, M. (2001). Preventing conduct problems, promoting social competence: A parent and teacher partnership in Head Start. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 30(3), 283-302
- Co-Constructing Family Involvement
- Successful Family Engagement in the Classroom: What teachers need to know and be able to do to engage families in raising student achievement [PDF, 299KB]
- Karakuş, M., Savaş, A. C. (2012). The Effects of Parental Involvement, Trust in Parents, Trust in Students and Pupil Control Ideology on Conflict Management Strategies of Early Childhood Teachers. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 12(4), 2977–2985.
- Reedy, C. K., McGrath, W. H. (2010). Can You Hear Me Now? Staff-Parent Communication in Child Care Centres. Early Child Development and Care, 180(3), 347–357.
Regulations
- Attendance, 45 CFR § 1302.16 (a), (a)(1)–(2), (a)(2)(i)-(iv), (a)(3), (b)–(c), (c)(1)–(2)
- Suspension and expulsion, 45 CFR § 1302.17 (a), (a)(1)–(4), (a)(4)(i)–(iv), (b), (b)(1)–(2), (b)(2)(i)–(ii), (b)(3)
- Child screenings and assessments, 45 CFR § 1302.33 (a), (a)(1)–(3), (a)(3)(i)-(ii), (a)(4)-(5), (a)(5)(i)–(ii), (a)(5)(ii)(A)-(B), (b), (b)(1)
- Parent and family engagement in education and child development services, 45 CFR § 1302.34 (a)–(b), (b)(1)–(8)
- Education in home-based programs, 45 CFR § 1302.35 (a)–(b), (b)(1)–(4), (c), (c)(1)–(4), (c)(4)(i)–(ii), (c)(5), (d), (d)(1), (d)(1)(i), (d)(3), (d)(3)(i)–(ii), (d)(4), (e), (e)(1)–(2), (e)(2)(i)–(ii), (e)(3), (f)
- Collaboration and communication with parents, 45 CFR § 1302.41 (a)–(b), (b)(1)–(2)
- Child health status and care, 45 CFR § 1302.42 (a), (a)(1)–(2), (b), (b)(1), (b)(1)(i)-(ii), (b)(2)–(4), (c), (c)(1)–(3), (d), (d)(1)–(3), (e), (e)(1)–(2)
- Oral health practices, 45 CFR § 1302.43
- Child mental health and social and emotional well-being, 45 CFR § 1302.45 (a), (a)(1)–(4), (b), (b)(1)–(6)
- Family support services for health, nutrition, and mental health, 45 CFR § 1302.46 (a)–(b), (b)(1), (b)(1)(i)–(v), (b)(2), (b)(2)(i)–(iii)
- Family engagement, 45 CFR § 1302.50 (a)–(b), (b)(1)–(6)
- Parent activities to promote child learning and development, 45 CFR § 1302.51 (a), (a)(1)–(3), (b)
- Family partnership services, 45 CFR § 1302.52 (a)–(c), (c)(1)–(4), (d)
- Community partnerships and coordination with other early childhood and education programs, 45 CFR § 1302.53 (a), (a)(1)–(2), (a)(2)(i)–(viii), (b)
- Additional services for children, 45 CFR § 1302.61 (a)–(c), (c)(1), (c)(1)(i)–(v), (c)(2), (c)(2)(i)–(ii)
- Additional services for parents, 45 CFR § 1302.62 (a), (a)(1)–(2), (b), (b)(1)–(4)
- Transitions from Early Head Start, 45 CFR § 1302.70 (a)–(b), (b)(1)–(2), (c)
- Transitions from Head Start to kindergarten, 45 CFR § 1302.71 (a)-(b), (b)(1)–(2), (b)(2)(i)–(iv), (c), (c)(1)–(2), (c)(2)(i)–(iii), (c)(3)
- Transitions between programs, 45 CFR § 1302.72 (a)–(c)
- Enrolled pregnant women, 45 CFR § 1302.80 (a)–(d)
- Prenatal and postpartum information, education, and services, 45 CFR § 1302.81 (a)–(b)
- Family partnership services for enrolled pregnant women, 45 CFR § 1302.82 (a)–(b)
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Last Updated: February 19, 2025