6.1 Introduction

Family engagement is a key part of early childhood education, helping children grow and learn by connecting their home and early learning experiences. At its core, family engagement refers to the meaningful, ongoing partnership between families and educators to support a child’s learning, development, and well-being. It goes beyond communication—true engagement is reciprocal, rooted in trust, and built on shared decision-making. Every family brings unique strengths, languages, cultures, and perspectives to the learning community. When educators listen with intention, honor families’ expertise, and co-create goals, children benefit from a consistent, nurturing environment across home and school. These partnerships help children thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.

This chapter explores how to cultivate authentic, inclusive relationships with families that are grounded in mutual respect and co-learning. You’ll examine practical strategies for building trust, fostering collaboration, and addressing barriers to engagement—such as time constraints, language differences, or past negative experiences. By the end, you’ll be equipped with tools and insights to create welcoming environments where families feel valued, empowered, and connected to their child’s education.

6.2 Family Engagement

Family engagement in early childhood refers to the meaningful and active partnership between families and early childhood professionals to support young children’s learning, development, and well-being. It goes beyond occasional communication—it’s about building strong, respectful relationships that empower families to be involved in all aspects of their child’s early education. When families are actively involved in their child’s learning, it creates a strong partnership that benefits everyone involved. Family engagement can enhance children’s academic achievement, social-emotional development, and overall well-being. It also provides families with valuable insights into their child’s education and allows them to support their learning at home. By working together, families and early childhood programs can create a positive and supportive environment that fosters children’s growth and success.

Family engagement in early childhood education can occur at various levels, each reflecting different types of involvement and collaboration. Passive engagement represents minimal involvement, where families are aware of the school but participate only to a limited extent, often receiving one-way communication primarily from the school. Moving toward active engagement, families begin to take a more involved role by maintaining regular communication with the program, attending events, participating in activities, and supporting their child’s learning at home. When engagement is meaningful, it reflects a collaborative partnership between families and educators, recognizing that learning at home and learning in the early childhood education environment are interconnected. Families support learning at home more effectively when educators value their input, fostering a sense of shared responsibility. This way, learning becomes a continuum—what begins in the classroom can be extended and reinforced at home, and vice versa—allowing the child’s development to be supported consistently across both environments. Meaningful family engagement is more than just participation—it’s a relationship built on mutual respect, trust, and shared responsibility. Educators recognize families as equal partners, tapping into their knowledge of their child, and including them in setting learning goals and program decisions. This engagement is sustained through ongoing, two-way communication and opportunities for co-learning and leadership. Consider the difference between family involvement and engagement in Table 6a below.

As families move from involvement to engagement and into leadership roles, the relationship with educators becomes more balanced and reciprocal. Families are no longer just participants—they are co-creators, decision-makers, and leaders in their child’s education.

In the interactive diagram below, you can explore each level of family engagement. At the level of collaborative engagement, families and school staff form partnerships, working together with shared goals and expectations for the child’s development. Families may take an active role in decision-making and planning, contributing directly to their child’s educational experience. Advocacy engagement occurs when families take on leadership roles within the program, advocate for the needs of children and families, and participate in shaping education policies. Finally, cultural engagement highlights the importance of respecting and valuing diversity. Families and educators collaborate to create an inclusive environment and integrate cultural perspectives into the curriculum and daily activities, fostering a richer and more equitable learning experience for all (Gestwicki, 2017).

By fostering different levels of family engagement, early childhood programs can create a supportive and collaborative learning environment that benefits both children and families.

6.3 Strategies to Promote Family Engagement

Strong and meaningful relationships with families are essential in early childhood education. When families feel connected and valued, they are more likely to be actively involved in their child’s learning. This involvement can lead to positive outcomes for children, such as increased academic achievement, improved social-emotional development, and a stronger sense of belonging. By building trusting relationships with families, educators can create a supportive and collaborative environment that benefits everyone involved.

In Figure 6b below, the teacher is offering a flexible, family-friendly program in the park, creating a welcoming and inclusive outdoor environment where families feel comfortable and valued. We can see picnic blankets and learning materials thoughtfully spread out, encouraging both structured and unstructured engagement. Families are sitting together in small groups, interacting with their children through play, reading, and hands-on activities. The teacher is actively moving around, greeting families warmly, engaging children in conversations, and modeling learning strategies.

To foster strong family engagement, the teacher likely reached out to families ahead of time through personalized invitations, translated flyers, and multiple reminders via text or app, ensuring the event was accessible and well-communicated. He may have also asked for input on timing, location, and what kinds of activities would be meaningful to them. Families may have been engaged in co-planning or may be leading activities at this program.

At the park, children are exploring nature, engaging in sensory play, and interacting with peers. Families are building relationships with one another and with the teacher, while educators facilitate learning, offer guidance, and celebrate each family’s contributions. This informal yet intentional setting helps build trust, strengthens the home-school connection, and supports children’s development through shared, joyful experiences.

To foster meaningful family engagement in early childhood education, programs can implement the following strategies in Table 6b:

By implementing these strategies, programs can create a positive and supportive environment that fosters meaningful family engagement and benefits both children and families. Sustaining engagement means moving beyond one-time events. Invite families to participate in goal-setting conferences throughout the year, offer rotating ‘family guest days’ where they can share a skill or tradition, or create take-home journals that allow ongoing two-way communication about learning.

Head Start has created a Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (PFCE) framework that can be used “in program-wide strategic planning, program design and management, continuous learning and improvement activities, as well as with governing bodies and parent groups” (Head Start, 2024, para. 1). Through this framework, Head Start uses positive and goal-oriented relationships, in addition to equity, inclusiveness, and cultural and linguistic responsiveness. The framework considers program foundations (program leadership, professional development, continuous learning and quality improvement), program impact areas (program environment, family partnerships, teaching and learning, community partnerships, access, and continuity), family outcomes (family well-being, positive parent-child relationships, families as lifelong educators, families as learners, family engagement in transitions, family connections to peers and community, and families as advocates and leaders) and child outcomes (safe, healthy and well; learning and developing; engaged in positive relationships with family members, caregivers, and other children; ready for school; and successful in school and life). This comprehensive framework serves as a vital guide for programs to foster meaningful partnerships with families and communities, ultimately supporting children.

Families are the most important people in a child’s life. They know their child’s unique qualities and needs better than anyone else. When families and early childhood educators work together, they can create a better learning environment for the child. Early childhood programs like Head Start involve families as partners. This means listening to their ideas, valuing their input, and working together to achieve common goals. By building strong relationships with families, programs can better support children’s development and help families thrive. It’s important for early childhood programs to be responsive to the needs and cultures of the families they serve. This includes involving community members and agencies to provide additional support and resources. By working together, everyone can contribute to the success of children and their families. In Table 6c below, you can explore strategies for welcoming children and families in the classroom.

6.4 Barriers to Family Engagement

Barriers to family engagement in early childhood education can significantly hinder the positive outcomes associated with strong partnerships between families and early childhood programs. These barriers can include factors such as language differences, cultural misunderstandings, fear of judgment related to limited time or resources, and negative past experiences with education. When families face these challenges, they may feel disconnected from their child’s school or unable to participate fully in their education. This can lead to decreased academic achievement, social-emotional difficulties, and a sense of alienation for both children and families. Overcoming these barriers requires a concerted effort from programs, families, and communities to create inclusive and supportive environments that foster meaningful family engagement. Table 6d summarizes common barriers to family engagement, provides real-world examples, and offers strategies educators can use to build more inclusive and supportive partnerships with families.

By understanding these barriers, programs can develop strategies to overcome them and promote effective family engagement. While individual strategies can help address common barriers, truly meaningful and lasting family engagement requires a program-wide commitment to equity, collaboration, and cultural responsiveness.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children, (n.d.). (NAEYC) developed the Principles of Effective Family Engagement. The research-based principles listed below support reciprocal and sustained partnerships by encouraging educators to treat families as equal decision-makers, build continuous communication systems, and integrate families’ experiences into curriculum and programming—all of which are core strategies for meaningful family engagement.

1. Programs invite families to participate in decision-making and goal setting for their child. Programs invite families to actively take part in making decisions concerning their children’s education. Teachers and families jointly set goals for children’s education and learning both at home and at school.
2. Teachers and programs engage families in two-way communication. Strategies allow for both school- and family-initiated communication that is timely and continuous. Conversations focus on a child’s educational experience, as well as the larger program. Communication takes multiple forms and reflects each family’s language preference.
3. Programs and teachers engage families in ways that are truly reciprocal. Programs and families benefit from shared resources and information. Programs invite families to share their unique knowledge and skills and encourage active participation in the life of the school. Teachers seek information about children’s lives, families, and communities and integrate this information into their curriculum and teaching practices.
4. Programs provide learning activities for the home and in the community. Programs use learning activities at home and in the community to enhance each child’s early learning and encourage and support families’ efforts to create a learning environment beyond the program.
5. Programs invite families to participate in program-level decisions and wider advocacy efforts. Programs invite families to actively participate in making decisions about the program itself. Programs also invite families to advocate for early childhood education in the wider community.
6. Programs implement a comprehensive program-level system of family engagement. Programs institutionalize family engagement policies and practices and ensure that teachers, administrators, and other staff receive the support they need to fully engage families.

6.5 Conclusion

Family engagement is a powerful and essential element of early childhood education, strengthening the connection between home and school and supporting every aspect of a child’s development. When educators recognize and honor the many ways families can participate—through communication, classroom involvement, or shared decision-making—they open the door to meaningful, lasting partnerships. Creating these authentic, reciprocal relationships takes time, empathy, and flexibility. It requires a commitment to understanding each family’s unique strengths, backgrounds, and needs, and to addressing barriers—such as time constraints, cultural differences, or systemic inequities—with creativity and care.

As you reflect on your practice, consider one small shift you can make to more fully invite families into your program—not just as participants, but as co-educators, decision-makers, and storytellers. Family engagement isn’t a one-time event or a checklist item—it’s a relationship that grows through shared trust, mutual learning, and continuous collaboration. When educators and families work together with open communication and shared goals, children thrive in environments that are supportive, inclusive, and connected. These partnerships not only strengthen educational outcomes but also empower families to feel confident and valued. Every step toward deeper engagement builds a stronger foundation for children’s success and creates a ripple effect that benefits the entire learning community.

Learning Activities

6.6 References

Gestwicki, C. (2017). Home, school, and community: A multicultural perspective (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.). Principles of family engagement. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/topics/family-engagement/principles

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2009). Welcome children and families. Young Children, 64(3), 6-9. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/jun2009/welcome-children-and-families

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2017). The two-generation model: Reducing stress and supporting families. Young Children, 72(3), 56-63. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/may2017/two-generation-model-reducing-stress

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2024). New research. https://www.naeyc.org/about-us/news/new-research

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families. (n.d.). Family engagement. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ecd/family-engagement

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children & Families, Office of Head Start. (n.d.). Parent, family, and community engagement (PFCE) framework. https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/school-readiness/article/parent-family-community-engagement-pfce-framework

Images:

Figure 6a: Aitubo. (2024). Flux (v1.0). [AI image generator]. https://creator.aitubo.ai/

Figure 6b: Aitubo. (2024). Flux (v1.0). [AI image generator]. https://creator.aitubo.ai/