Family Engagement

POLICY:

NOCAC Child Development integrates parent and family engagement strategies into all systems and program service areas to support the well-being of the family and promote the participant’s learning and development.

PROCEDURES:

1. Family engagement approach.  NOCAC Child Development:
   1. Recognize parents as their child’s primary teachers and nurturers.
   2. Implement intentional strategies to engage parents in their child’s learning and development.
   3. Supports parent-child relationships, including specific strategies for father engagement.
   4. Develops relationships with parents and structure services to encourage trust and respectful, ongoing two-way communication between staff and parents to create a welcoming program environment that incorporate the unique cultural, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds of families in the program and community. Including but not limited to:
      1. Ensuring both parents are aware of the participant’s progress, concerns, and upcoming events through:
         1. Class Dojo.com app
         2. Remind.com app
         3. Phone call
         4. Text
         5. Email
         6. Facebook messenger
         7. Family Central
         8. Home Visits
         9. Parent teacher conferences
         10. Mail
   5. Collaborate with the family in a family partnership, through a Family Partnership Agreement (FPA) process that identifies:
      1. strengths
      2. needs
      3. interests
      4. goals
      5. services
      6. resources that support family well-being such as:
         1. family safety
         2. health
         3. economic stability.  This is done with a FPA.
      7. NOCAC HS/EHS Family Advocates complete an FPA with the family twice a year.
   6. Provides parents with opportunities to participate in the program as:
      1. Employees
      2. Volunteers
      3. Policy Council
         1. Policy Council members are nominated and then voted in by other parents during family picnics and family fun nights.
   7. Conduct family engagement services in the family’s preferred language, or through an interpreter, current list are given to each center manager, to the extent possible ensuring that the family has the opportunity to share personal information in an environment in which they feel safe.
   8. Family Progress Notes are completed with teachers, home visitors, and family support staff to share information with each other, as appropriate and consistent with the requirements in part 1303 subpart C, of this chapter; FERPA; or IDEA, to ensure coordinated family engagement strategies with the participant and family in the classroom, home, and community.

Forms and Additional Guidance:

• Family Partnership Agreement (FPA)