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ERIC Number: EJ1198761
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0896-3746
EISSN: N/A
Exploring Continuities between Family Engagement and Well-Being in Aboriginal Head Start Programs in Canada
Gerlach, Alison J.; Gignac, Joan
Infants and Young Children, v32 n1 p60-74 Jan-Mar 2019
Children and families receive maximum benefits from early childhood programs when families are actively engaged. "Parental involvement" is an established feature of Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities (AHSUNC) in Canada, and there is interest in increasing the knowledge on how AHSUNC sites engage with parents and families. This qualitative study generated knowledge and insights into the nature of family engagement in AHSUNC programs. From May to November 2016, semistructured interviews were undertaken with 26 participants in AHSUNC programs across British Columbia. Participants included parents (n = 10); Elders (n = 6), and AHSUNC program coordinators and family workers (n = 10). Findings illustrate a nuanced, relational, and strengths-based approach to family engagement that included AHSUNC program staff being responsive to the influence of broader social and structural factors on families' everyday lives and program engagement. Findings highlight how family engagement practices in AHSUNC are interdependent and continuous with practices aimed at supporting family well-being. The implications of reframing family engagement from a relational perspective are discussed. These findings have relevancy beyond Indigenous contexts to all early childhood and child health programs that are questioning how to engage with families who experience multifaceted forms of social disadvantage and marginalization.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Available from: Wolters Kluwer. 351 West Camden Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Tel: 800-638-3030; e-mail: MR-WKCustomerSupport@wolterskluwer.com; Web site: https://journals.lww.com/pages/default.aspx
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A