Communication and the exchange of information are key components of the relationships between parents of young children and the staff of programs that serve them. Professionals who work with families are likely to be more effective when they are aware of how aspects of their own communication practices may affect parents' ability and willingness to engage with a program in the interests of their children. This Digest discusses the limited research and literature on parents' intellectual and physical access to information provided by programs that serve young children. In terms of intellectual access to information, the Digest notes that access to information can be seriously compromised by differences in reading level, understanding of jargon, vocabulary, and home language among parents and program staff. In terms of physical access to information, the Digest notes that distance and sensory or physical disabilities may impede access to information, and that programmatic factors such as scheduling may also interfere with people's ability to connect with information sources. The Digest concludes by noting that two-way open and frequent communication between parents and the people outside the family increases the likelihood that the exchange of information can be coordinated and provided in ways that have a direct or indirect positive impact on children's development. (LPP)