“Family engagement is an interactive process through which program staff and families, family members and their children build positive and goal-oriented relationships. It is a shared responsibility of families and professionals that requires mutual respect for the roles and strengths each has to offer. Family engagement means doing with — not doing to or for — families.” – Parent, Family and Community Engagement Framework (2011)

Four Resource Types for Family Engagement

• Framework Resources — Broad frameworks that apply specifically to family engagement
• Educational Resources — A variety of basic educational resources (for example, reports, websites, brochures, podcasts, videos.)
• Programmatic Resources — Programmatic offerings that are designed to facilitate family engagement opportunities
• Organizational Resources — Organizations or groups that provide support relative to family engagement

Framework Resources for Family Engagement

Framework resources are examples of broad frameworks related to the topic of family engagement that can be useful for envisioning ways to allocate resources, priorities or strategies in facilitating family engagement. A variety of resources that can be used by parents or early childhood professionals exist and several frameworks have emerged that focus on differing approaches to family engagement.

Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education: The Family Engagement Project
The goal of this project is for family engagement coaches and early care and education programs to work in collaboration to create individualized plans designed to increase parent engagement, parent awareness and community partnerships.

Resource Link: https://children.alabama.gov/family-engagement-project/

Parents as Teachers (PAT) Program: Evidence-based Home Visiting Model
Using a home-based visiting model, Parents as Teachers has developed an evidence-based logic model for home visiting that encompasses different aspects of family engagement.

Resource Link: www.parentpossible.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/PAT_EBHVM.pdf

Head Start: Parent, Family and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework
This framework provides programs with a research-based, organizational guide for implementing Head Start Program Performance Standards for parent, family and community engagement.

Resource Link: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/school-readiness/article/head-start-parent-family-community-engagement-framework

Parents as Teachers (PAT) Program: Parent Engagement During Home Visit
Parents as Teachers supports a parent’s role in promoting school readiness and healthy development of children. Using a home-based visiting model, Parents as Teachers has developed a framework for assessing parent engagement during a home visiting experience with families.

Resource Link: https://parentsasteachers.org/

National Center for Healthy Safe Children: Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) Framework
This tool allows schools and their partners to understand and plan a comprehensive approach to mental health promotion and youth violence prevention.

Resource Link: https://healthysafechildren.org/sshs-framework

University of Minnesota Extension: Four Models of Parent Involvement
In relation to success in school and parent-school partnerships, the Four Models of Parent Involvement addresses different models of parent involvement.

Resource Link: https://extension.umn.edu/parent-school-partnerships/four-models-parent-involvement

Educational Resources for Family Engagement

Educational resources are examples of resources that can be used by parents or early childhood professionals and consist of a variety of basic educational resources, including reports, websites, brochures, podcasts or videos.

Attendance Works
Attendance Works is an educational campaign to enhance student success by engaging children and families to reduce absence. It includes many handouts, flyers, videos and similar resources to help families and build the habit of school attendance. Click on Resources ➔ Positive Engagement.

Resource Link: www.attendanceworks.org

National Center on Parent, Family and Community Engagement: Strategies for Family Engagement Attitudes and Practices - Brief
Part of the Building Partnerships Series for Early Childhood Professionals, this brief presents a very useful set of ideas, attitudes and practices relative to family engagement.

Resource Link: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/strategies-family-engagement-attitudes-practices.pdf

Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP): Promote Family Engagement Social Policy Brief
CLASP provides policy briefs on topics of key social concern, including a thoughtful brief on promoting family engagement.

Resource Link: www.clasp.org/babiesinchildcare/recommendations/parents-providers-and-caregivers-supported-by-and-linked-to-community-resources/promote-family-engagement

Rand Corporation: Families, Powered On: Improving Family Engagement in Early Childhood Education Through Technology
This policy report covers research and recommendations on the topic of technology, family engagement and early childhood education.

Resource Link: www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR673z5.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Legacy for Children Program
The CDC provides nationally tested curriculum, training and coaching for the Legacy for Children parent support program. The resources provide a variety of tools for being involved in a child’s education.

Resource Link: www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/legacy.html

University of Minnesota Extension: Partnering for School Success Site and Booklet
This project offers useful examples and resources on family engagement and also a set of “take and teach” hourlong lessons focused on parent involvement and support of a child’s education.

Resource Link: https://extension.umn.edu/parent-school-partnerships/partnering-school-success-take-and-teach-lessons#access-the-resources-628010

National Academies Press: Parenting Matters: Supporting Parents of Children Ages 0-8 (2016)
This resource publication highlights substantive research on parent support and involvement during early childhood, with many valuable recommendations on family engagement.

Resource Link: www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/supporting-the-parents-of-young-children

Virginia Commonwealth University: Center for Family Involvement
The Center for Family Involvement is a hub that focuses specifically on resources for people with disabilities and their families. A variety of useful resources are provided that address the specific needs of this population.

Resource Link: https://web.partnership.vcu.edu/cfi/index.html

National Center on Parent, Family and Community Engagement: Best Practices in Family and Community Engagement (Video Series)
This video series highlights examples of innovative approaches to engagement that foster strong relationships with families.

Resource Link: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/community-engagement/article/best-practices-family-community-engagement-video-series

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction: Engaging with Families
This website includes videos, handouts and other resources and emphasizes that “we need to shift the way we partner with families to help students learn from parent involvement to family engagement.”

Resource Link: https://dpi.wi.gov/engaging-families

Educational Resource Example – Family Engagement

Programmatic Resources for Family Engagement

Programmatic resources are examples of resources that can be used by parents, early childhood professionals or others and consist of programmatic offerings that are designed to facilitate family engagement opportunities. Some specific examples of such programmatic resources are highlighted in this section.

The Arc of North Dakota, Inc.
The Arc is a national community-based organization with local chapters that advocates for and serves those with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Chapters provide a variety of services, supports, advocacy, programs and resources.

Resource Link: https://thearc.org/chapter/the-arc-of-north-dakota-inc/

North Dakota Department of Human Services: Right Track Program
Right Track is a free program for all North Dakota children ages 0 to 3 in which consultants meet with individuals and provide developmental screenings for young children, share ideas and activities for stimulating a child’s development and learning, and offer other information and referrals.

Resource Link: www.nd.gov/dhs/services/disabilities/earlyintervention/parent-info/right-track.html

Designer Genes
Designer Genes is a support network focused on strengthening opportunities for individuals with Down Syndrome and those who support them in areas including education, work and community connections. Programs include support groups, education, and advocacy efforts.

Resource Link: www.designergenesnd.com

North Dakota Department of Human Services: Early Intervention Services Program
Under Part C of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, the state provides the Early Intervention Services program. Early Intervention Services is a statewide, multi-faceted program available in every region of the state of North Dakota, with early intervention providers working directly with families who have vulnerable children (children with special needs).

Resource Link: www.nd.gov/dhs/services/disabilities/earlyintervention/

Minnesota Department of Education and Partner Agencies: Help Me Grow Minnesota
This program focuses on providing parents and others with resources on children’s development and assessment of their progress. Confidential screenings of a child’s development, as well as a variety of useful educational resources, are available.

Resource Link: http://helpmegrowmn.org/HMG/index.html

North Dakota Department of Public Instruction – Family Engagement Resource Kit
ND DPI offers a Family Engagement Resource Kit to help families, schools and communities work together to foster family engagement practices. This approach supports partnerships, resources and training to enhance family engagement.

Resource Link: https://www.nd.gov/dpi/parentscommunity/parents/family-engagement

Minnesota Department of Human Services: Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), Child Care Provider Guide
The Minnesota Department of Human Services operates a child-care assistance program that extends information and support to child-care providers. The Child Care Provider Guide offers much information on serving and supporting children and families.

Resource Link: https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-5260-ENG

North Dakota Department of Public Instruction – Family Resources Link
ND DPI provides a resource center for families and community professionals to facilitate access to educational supports and resources. Resource links are provided for many topics, including family engagement, and updated regularly.

Resource Link: https://www.nd.gov/dpi/familiescommunity/nddpi-updates-and-guidance-covid-19/resource-center

Moorhead Area Public Schools, Early Learning Center: Jump Start Preschool
This program, in collaboration with early intervention services, provides age-appropriate activities, curriculum and assessment for 3-, 4- and 5-year-old children living in the school district.

Resource Link: www.moorheadschools.org/schools/early-childhood-schools/school-readiness-and-jump-start-preschool/

NDSU Extension: Basic Beginnings Parent Education Program or Gearing Up for Kindergarten Program
These are prevention-focused parent and family education programs designed to facilitate child development, school readiness and healthy parenting. Basic Beginnings focuses on raising children ages 0 to 3 and Gearing Up for Kindergarten engages families with a child entering kindergarten.

Resource Links: 
www.gearingupnd.org
www.ag.ndsu.edu/basicbeginnings

National Home Visiting Coalition: Home Visiting Programs
This association provides support to programs and resources that enable interested parties to learn more and access resources on home visiting programs that can make a substantial difference in the lives of children and their families.

Resource Links:
https://nationalhomevisitingcoalition.org/
www.health.state.mn.us/fhv

Parents as Teachers (PAT) Program
Parents as Teachers (PAT) is a national program that develops curricula and approaches that support a parent’s role in promoting school readiness and healthy development of children. It focuses on learning experiences that are relevant and customized for the individual needs of each family and child.

Resource Link:https://parentsasteachers.org

Organizational Resources for Family Engagement

Organizational resources are examples of resources that can be used by parents, early childhood professionals or others and consist of organizations or groups that can be accessed for support relative to family engagement. This listing is not exhaustive but provides examples of such organizations.

Child Care Aware: North Dakota
This national organization within each state focuses on providing information, support and services to those working in the field of child care (for example, information on child care availability, child support, health care for families, available resources for families and family engagement options).

Resource Link: www.childcareaware.org/state/north-dakota/

ND Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health
An organization focused on meeting the needs of children with emotional, mental or behavioral disorders, their families, and those supporting them in North Dakota. Resources, training, advocacy and support for families, early childhood professionals, and others on family engagement and related topics.

Resource Link:www.ndffcmh.org

Division of Early Childhood/Council for Exceptional Children
The Council for Exceptional Children promotes policies and evidence-based practices that support families and enhance optimal development of young children with developmental delays or disabilities. The organization provides professional development, educational resources and tools for family engagement.

Resource Link: www.dec-sped.org/

North Dakota Parent Education Network and Regional Parent and Family Resource Centers (PFRC)
The mission of the North Dakota Parent Education Network is to provide research-based parent and family education to North Dakota parents and family members. A wide range of educational programs and family engagement opportunities are available through this network.

Resource Link: www.ag.ndsu.edu/pen

Family Voices of North Dakota (FVND) and Parent to Parent Network
Family Voices of North Dakota is a nonprofit organization that acts as a health care information center for North Dakota families who have children with special health care needs. It assists families by providing linkages, community resources, help in navigating systems and a statewide Parent to Parent Network that matches families by needs.

Resource Links:
http://fvnd.org/
http://fvnd.org/site/index.php/nd-parent-to-parent/

NDSU Extension
NDSU Extension is a statewide educational network that is the outreach educational arm of North Dakota State University. Its purpose is creating learning partnerships that help children, youth and adults enhance their lives and communities. It provides a variety of research-based educational resources and programs, including programs that support family engagement.

Resource Link: www.ag.ndsu.edu/extension/children_families_finances

Head Start and Early Head Start: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC)
Programs serving families with children ages 0 to 6 and are supported via federal agencies that provide funding, training and technical assistance, and support. In addition, the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center furnishes a wealth of helpful resources, training and other supports to parents, early childhood professionals and community leaders.

Resource Links:
www.acf.hhs.gov/ohs
https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/

Pathfinder Services of ND
Pathfinder Services of ND is a nonprofit organization that provides information, training, individual assistance and resources related to healthy parenting and family life. It has a specific focus on youth who have special needs, their families and others who support them. Parent support providers give emotional support and information to families of children 0 to 3 with developmental challenges.

Resource Link: www.pathfinder-nd.org/

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
NAEYC is the premier national association dedicated to providing children, their families and early childhood professionals with the resources needed for early learning and success. Great resources for family engagement and support.

Resource Links:
www.naeyc.org/
www.naeyc.org/resources/topics/family-engagement

Prevent Child Abuse North Dakota (PCAND)
This nonprofit organization focuses on primary prevention efforts to support nurturing and prevent abuse by educating parents, caregivers and community professionals on how to support children and families. It extends support through prevention activities and programs, training, capacity building, systems change and collaboration.

Resource Link: www.pcand.org/