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Family Engagement Extras

Communicate With Families

Communication is an important ingredient for building relationships with families. By talking with families, you will come to know and better understand the students and community you serve. This video highlights strategies that some 21st CCLC programs use for communicating with parents and caregivers.

 

Benefits of Family Engagement

This video gives you a chance to hear parents, siblings and program staff talk about why they participate in a 21st CCLC program. You’ll see how this benefits families and students, including those with greater needs.

Reflect on This: What would the parents from your program say they gain through their connections with you? What would you hope they say? Would all families have the same thing to say? Who might have a different opinion? Enter your thoughts in My Notebook.

 

Assess Your Family Engagement

Use the checklist to assess your family engagement efforts. Select the practices that you currently employ. Consider adding the remaining practices to boost family engagement in your program.

My Notebook

Family Engagement

The Notebook is a useful way to jot down notes as you go through the various topics available on the You For Youth website. If you'd like to use the notebook, please sign in if you already have an account or register now to join the Y4Y community!

Glossary

Family Engagement

The ability to learn from and relate respectfully with people of your own culture as well as those from other cultures. This requires being aware of and inclusive in regards to diversity and differences between people. This includes, but is not limited to: gender, employment/occupation, disability status, culture, language, income, age, and race/ethnicity.

For the purposes of participating in 21st CCLC program activities, all people who are either responsible for a child or anyone the child identifies as being important in their lives (e.g., close family friend, sibling, extended family member, neighbor). For the purposes of protecting privacy, federal policy says only certain people (as defined in Title I) may receive student data

A culturally responsive approach to relationship-building with a child’s key family members. Building relationships through activities such as helping parents and caregivers develop their own skills, offering educational activities for families and students together, bringing family members into leadership positions with the 21st CCLC program, and connecting families with schools and resources in the community. Family engagement also refers to the importance of family members playing an active role in their children's academic and social-emotional development.

A designated staff person who communicates directly with caregivers and family members to invite their involvement and participation with a 21st CCLC program. A family liaison often helps to connect students' families with program, school or community services that support learning and well-being.

Ensuring that every child truly is included and the individual needs of each child are considered and valued, regardless of any differences or challenges they may have.

A friendly, supportive atmosphere that encourages family participation and unites the 21st CCLC staff, family and community in supporting student development and academic achievement.