This Family Engagement Toolkit is designed for facility and school administrators. It provides tools that can be adapted to promote family involvement in a facility school. The tools are intended to be used by program staff to help encourage families--including those who are reluctant, have been affected by trauma, or are unsure of how to become…

"The Family Partnership Process: Engaging and Goal-Setting with Families" explores how strong partnerships can positively influence the goals families set in the Family Partnership Process. This guide recommends "Seven Steps for Setting and Reaching Goals with Families" and will help program staff: (1) learn about families and…

Brief strategic family therapy (BSFT) is an evidence-based intervention for diagnosing and correcting patterns of family interactions that are linked to distressing experiences and symptoms in children ages 6-18. This clinical guide shows practitioners how to transform family interactions from conflictive to collaborative, from habitual to…

Students with disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds often experience barriers and inequities in transition supports and services due to the cultural mismatch of beliefs, values, and expectations between their families and their schools. Though transition planning was designed for students and families to provide…

Children's play experiences have a profound impact on all areas of their growth, learning, and development. Play Today: A Guide for Families describes ideas and examples of quality play experiences that can be offered to preschool and school-age children by their families and caregivers. This guide puts a focus on play-based learning for children…

Inclusion is most effective when schools create a culture that celebrates diversity and builds on the strengths of each student. Family engagement may look different from school to school, and it is important for schools to support families in a variety of ways, not just relying on one method. This guide aims to help schools to: (1) identify…

The nation is in the midst of the largest change to education that has happened in recent memory. The 2020 pandemic, along with schools giving technology to families prompted a learn-from-home movement. Families may find that learning from home presents exciting yet stress-filled opportunities. This brief describes information and tips for…

To help families navigate these processes, this tool is intended to introduce students and families to their rights in common scenarios, promote educational equity for students with disabilities, describe potential recourse or remedies for educational discrimination, and provide resources to enhance equity within schools. Families' rights and…

Finding the right college is a challenge for all students, but Black families face additional challenges and questions when navigating the admissions process. Veteran admissions experts Timothy L. Fields and Shereem Herndon-Brown demystify this complexity by advising families on when to begin the process, where to apply, and how to be a…

How can families of children with disabilities plan for lasting financial security at every stage of life? Find clear answers in "The Special Needs Planning Guide," a step-by-step companion for parents as they progress through the complexities of planning for the future of their family and their child. Written by two financial planning…

When a military family has a child with autism, they face all the emotions and challenges that accompany this diagnosis, compounded by the realities of military service: war, extended family separation, frequent moves, varying access to specialized healthcare, and other stressors that complicate and often work against effective treatment for…

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARP), Congress' most recent package for COVID-19 relief, includes billions of dollars dedicated to infants, toddlers, and children under the age of six. In addition to the $800 million in education funding included for identifying and supporting children and youth experiencing homelessness, there are opportunities…

Parents and guardians can be a powerful resource for teachers, but it takes skill and confidence to build partnerships, or parentships, and proactively engage in a positive way. Kyle Palmer draws from his experience as both a principal of a Model PLC at Work® school and a parent to offer practical strategies for including parents or guardians as…

When the Model Work Standards were first crafted more than two decades ago, they were built on the premise that quality child care jobs are the cornerstone of high-quality services for children and families. The intent of these standards is to make it possible for those who choose family child care as a career to reasonably and responsibly support…

Family engagement is essential to high quality services for all children in early childhood care and education. From the beginning of life, families nurture their children and the capacities they will need to be ready for school. The Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework for Early Childhood Systems is a guide to understanding…