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Goal Setting

Head Start staff meeting with a parent.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.

Step 1: Set a Goal

Explore scenarios and find conversation starters that help kick off discussions with families about defining FEM goals.

Step 2: Identify Skills

Review scenarios and find conversation starters that help you identify skills families might leverage in making progress toward their economic mobility goals.

 

Step 3: Assess Strengths

Explore scenarios and find conversation starters that help you identify strengths families might leverage in making progress toward their economic mobility goals.

 

Step 4: Examine Stressors

Review scenarios and find conversation starters that help you identify and address stressors families might need to manage to make progress toward their FEM goals.

 

Step 5: Explore Strategies

Explore scenarios and find conversation starters that help you identify and share strategies families might use to make progress toward their FEM goals.

 

Step 6: Determine Support

Review scenarios and find conversation starters that help you identify appropriate supports to help families make progress toward their economic mobility goals.

 

Connecting Families to Support

You don’t have to do it all! Learn about ways to connect families with supports from outside your program through referrals and partnerships, and how to determine when it's best for your program to provide support.

HeadStart.gov

official website of the Administration for Children and Families

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