Relationships with Parents
Learn how the unique work of home visitors is about ways to “engage in a mutually respectful goal-oriented partnership with families to promote parent–child relationships and family well-being.”
Family engagement is a collaborative and strengths-based process through which early childhood professionals, families, and children build positive and goal-oriented relationships. It is a shared responsibility of families and staff at all levels that requires mutual respect for the roles and strengths each has to offer. Family engagement focuses on culturally and linguistically responsive relationship-building with key family members in a child’s life. These people include pregnant women and expectant families, mothers, fathers, grandparents, and other adult caregivers. It requires making a commitment to creating and sustaining an ongoing partnership that supports family well-being. It also honors and supports the parent-child relationships that are central to a child’s healthy development, school readiness, and well-being. The Office of Head Start Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Framework is a guide to learning how family engagement promotes positive, enduring change for children, families, and communities.
Learn how the unique work of home visitors is about ways to “engage in a mutually respectful goal-oriented partnership with families to promote parent–child relationships and family well-being.”
Building relationships with families is an ongoing process. Learn how a family’s first interactions with a home visitor impact whether they feel welcomed and safe, and whether they feel your program can help them.
There are few right answers in home visiting, and relationships can ebb and flow. Explore ways reflection helps home visitors understand what they see, plan with families, and practice self-care.
We all make mistakes and sometimes, simply performing the job of home visitor may be stressful. Explore ways to work with families through challenging times.
Many home visitors observe serious challenges that affect relationships with families and require immediate action. Find out ways programs can put policies in place to meet these kinds of situations.
Explore A Secure Parent-Child Relationship
Explore Joint Planning
Learn more about the value of community partnerships. Discover strategies for building partnerships to support father engagement.
Learn about effective home visiting practices to help nurture parent-child relationships and positive interactions. Find out how to partner with families to create a rich learning environment in the home.
Explore these resources to learn strategies for making progress toward positive outcomes for families and children.
HeadStart.gov
official website of the Administration for Children and Families