Use any combination of these strategies to meet individual families’ needs and goals related to the outcomes in the Head Start Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Framework.

When planning your year, assess which virtual engagement strategies work best for your program and families. Then, use the Virtual Engagement Planning Tool to develop your action plan.

Use the following tips to gather the information you need to begin planning virtual family engagement services. These tips also can help strengthen your current practices and support ongoing improvement.

Researchers have identified many benefits of virtual service delivery. The most common benefits are increased access and improved convenience and flexibility.

Personal and cultural background informs how people parent. Head Start programs can provide important support to parents who want the best for their children.

Head Start staff and parents bring unique elements to their relationship while they work with a focus on supporting children’s growth and learning. 

Head Start staff can use these three steps to build relationships with parents and support their learning and decision-making.

The positive, goal-directed relationships Head Start staff form with parents can strengthen the relationships parents have with their children. This parallel process supports parents in self-discovery.

Secure relationships are the foundation of trust. By using positive, strengths-based attitudes, staff can create trusting, supportive partnerships with parents.