The Center – Families

Relationships between education staff and families are reciprocal, based on trust, respect, and the belief that all parents and families want the best for their children.

Parents and families are equal co-partners, co-creators, co-learners, and co-educators in their children’s development and learning.

Parent and families’ funds of knowledge^[7] are honored and embedded into curriculum as assets to support learning.

Parent and family voices are elevated; their perceptions are incorporated in decisions and teaching practices for children’s learning.

Program leaders, teachers, family child care (FCC) providers, and home visitors are aware of how their own identities, values, and beliefs, impact their relationships with parents and families and the decisions they make in their teaching and home visiting practices.

Program leaders, teachers, FCC providers, and home visitors acknowledge the lived experiences of parents and families whose identities have been historically and contemporarily marginalized; this includes experiences with structural racism, classism, sexism, able-ism, homophobia, xenophobia, and other forms of oppression that have created inequities in families’ health, and well-being.

A teacher or family child care provider periodically reaches out to families to personally inquire about their well-being and celebrate their child’s successes instead of only sharing a behavioral concern.

A toddler teaching team uses families’ funds of knowledge to plan individualized curriculum learning experiences for children. Children engage in early math and literacy learning experiences throughout the day using their funds of knowledge. Families and the teaching team co-create ways to intentionally support these emerging skills at home.

Early learning leaders and education staff engage in professional learning opportunities to examine how awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the racial, cultural, and other intersecting identities of children and their families — as well as their own racial cultural identities — promote effective teaching, learning, and home visiting practices.

A home visitor attends events in the community where children and families live to learn more about their community’s culture and lived experience.

A program works with a community organization for parents and families who have newly arrived to listen and learn about their questions, perceptions, and ideas to support their children’s development and learning.

Education staff collaborate with Indigenous families in the program to preserve their native language.

Preschool teachers ask families to share their thoughts and perspectives on the month’s lesson plan theme. Parents ask questions and provide their ideas about what they know, wonder, and hope their children will learn.

The program’s father engagement initiative team organizes a book-of-the-month club where fathers and male family members conduct read-alouds for children in partnership with the neighborhood library.

A family child care provider uses the “90/10 principle” when meeting with families — listens for 90% of the meeting and talks for only 10% — to position themselves as a learner rather than an expert.

Parent and family engagement in education and child development services, 45 CFR §1302.34(a–b)

Transition Services, 45 CFR §1302 Subpart G

Quality programming reflects the diverse cultures within the community. Culturally sustaining programming is shaped primarily by the communities, staff, and families of each Head Start program.

Child and family-specific cultural knowledge is essential. A first step to culturally sustaining programming is for educators to learn about the cultures of each family enrolled in the program and confront stereotypes.

Inclusion systems help adults and children thrive. Including culturally sustaining programming and practices into all systems and services promotes well-being for everyone.