Family Engagement

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released a Policy Statement on Family Engagement from the early years to the early grades.

View the HHS and ED Joint Letter on the Family Engagement Policy from the Early Years to the Early Grades.

Strong family engagement is central in promoting children's healthy development and wellness, including:

• social-emotional and behavioral development;
• preparing children for school;
• seamlessly transitioning them to kindergarten; and
• supporting academic achievement in elementary school and beyond.

The policy statement:

• Highlights the research that supports effective family engagement in children's learning, development and wellness;
• Identifies core principles of effective family engagement practices from HHS' and ED's family engagement frameworks;
• Provides recommendations to states, Local Education Agencies (LEAs), schools and community-based early childhood programs for implementing effective family engagement practices; and
• Highlights resources for states, LEAs, schools, and early childhood program to build capacity to effectively partner with families.

Families are children’s first, longest lasting, and most important teachers, advocates, and nurturers. Positive parenting and strong family engagement is central-- not supplemental-- to promoting children’s healthy development and wellness. This includes social-emotional and behavioral development; preparing children for school; seamlessly transitioning them to kindergarten; and supporting academic achievement in elementary school and beyond. Families’ engagement in children’s learning at home and in early care and education programs can impact lifelong health, developmental and academic outcomes.

Early care and education teachers and providers play a central role in partnering with families on their children’s learning and development. ACF is pleased to announce three new resources that can inform early childhood programs, networks, and States in their work to partner with and support families with young children using evidence-informed approaches.

• Compendium of Parenting Interventions 
• Intervention Implementation Guide

• Tracking Progress in Early Care and Education: Program, Staff, and Family Measurement Tools
  Early care and education staff can use this guide to identify examples of tools that may be used to measure family engagement outcomes and relationships with families. This guide is part of the Measuring What Matters: Using Data to Support Family Progress series. This resource is also available in an At a Glance version.

Learn more about parent, family and community engagement.