This book provides early childhood educators with perspectives and tools that will enable them to strengthen parents and families during the child's earliest year of development. The 25 chapters are divided into 6 parts or themes. Part one focuses on understanding families as learners from an ecological and empathetic perspective, with the premise that families can be sources of strength for adults and children when they are supported and nurtured. Part two examines the process of relating to the special needs of families from a supportive, yet realistic, framework. This section describes a proactive approach to developing positive and equitable relations with families experiencing special needs. Part three, on parenting and the family learning process, emphasizes the critical role that parents play in the development of healthy families. Focusing on parent education and family support, part four examines ways that early childhood professionals can provide educational and related support resources for parents and families. Part five addresses the important topic of communicating with parents and families, discussing the attributes of effective communication and the processes involved in using these attributes. Finally, part six pulls together the various aspects of supporting parents and families into a workable plan of action. The theme of involving parents and families is used to articulate the essential concepts and practices for achieving success in the development of family involvement programs. Contains 450 references. (HTH)