Thinking Outside the Blocks: Why It’s Critical for Your Congregation to Focus Beyond Its Early Childhood Center Mark I

1. Thinking Outside the Blocks: Why It’s Critical for Your Congregation to Focus Beyond Its Early Childhood Center Mark I. Rosen, Ph.D. Brandeis University Cathy Rolland URJ Faculty, Early Childhood Education and Young Family Engagement Presented at the URJ Biennial 2013 December 12, 2013 - San Diego, California

2. Overview of Today’s Presentation • Part 1: Jewish Early Childhood Education – The Context • Part 2: Parents with Young Children – Who Are They and What Do They Want? • Part 3: Reaching Families Who Are Not Enrolled in Your Early Childhood Center Mark I. Rosen ▪ Brandeis University 2

3. Part 1: Jewish Early Childhood Education – The Context

4. Jewish ECE – An Uncertain Future • In his 2013 State of the Union address, President Obama pledged to provide universal, high-quality pre-K education to our nation’s children • He has proposed spending $75 billion in the next decade to expand access to preschool • At present, less than one in every four Jewish families chooses a Jewish early childhood center • If universal pre-K expands, what percentage of parents in your community will choose your early childhood center for their children?

5. The Joys of Jewish ECE • Education: • The high quality educational setting in a Jewish preschool prepares children for a lifetime of learning. • Values: • Jewish values and concepts are interwoven throughout the day and apply to all aspects of a child’s life. • Tradition: • Jewish holiday and life cycle celebrations are experienced in a way that is complementary to each family’s practice. • Identity: • Children develop long-lasting, positive emotional connections with Shabbat, Torah, and the Land of Israel, strengthening their Jewish identity.

6. The Joys of Jewish ECE • Spirituality: • Children are encouraged to think about, ask questions about, and develop their own relationship with God. • Friendship and Community: • Both children and parents make friends and become a part of the Jewish community locally and worldwide. Adapted from A Parent's Guide to Choosing A Jewish Early Childhood Program by the Alliance for Jewish Early Education

7. Jewish ECE Challenges • Convenience • Hours and holiday closings are often unworkable for families with two working parents • Parents are increasingly moving to suburbs where there are no nearby Jewish early childhood centers • Costs • Jewish early childhood centers can be more costly than secular preschools • Staffing • Highly qualified preschool directors and teachers are hard to find • Jewish trends • Intermarriage rates are continuing to rise, and interfaith families are statistically less likely to choose a Jewish early childhood center • Fewer Jewish adults are growing up with a strong Jewish identity and there is a consequently less interest in passing Jewish identity on to children

8. Thinking Outside the Blocks In the face of these challenges, what can your congregation do to continue attracting families with young children? Answer: Develop family engagement programming

9. Part 2: Parents with Young Children – Who Are They and What Do They Want?

10. The Critical Role of Parents • Parents, rather than educators and institutions, are the primary influence on their children’s development • Parents make choices for their children • Preschool • Sunday school • Summer camp • Young children imitate their parents • If parents don’t make Jewish choices, and don’t model Judaism at home, children will not grow up with a strong Jewish identity

11. Jewish Engagement Begins at Birth • Preschool starts at two and a half or three, but Jewish life begins at birth • What is your congregation doing for families with very young children? • Reach out to parents when they have their first child • Life changes dramatically; normal routines are disrupted • Finances, work, identity, and relationships are all affected • It takes about two years until parents settle into their new routine and lifestyle

12. Why It is Critical To Reach Parents By The Time Their Oldest Child Is Two • During this transition period, parents are more open and receptive than they will be later on • When children grow older and the family expands, receptivity among parents gradually lessens • By the time their firstborn is two, parents have: • created new routines • made new friends • developed loyalties with local institutions • Parents have established a “new normal” and have settled into family life • Will the “new normal” include Jewish life?

13. Parents are Looking for Jewish Connections • Parents with young children: • are not looking for Jewish learning • are not inclined to join congregations • arelooking for Jewish connections

14. Question From a Recent Survey of Chicago-Area Parents Are you as connected to the Jewish community as you would like to be?

15. Families Who Were Not Synagogue Members Were Much More Likely to Be Looking For Connections n=1,389

16. Parents Are Strongly Influenced by Peers • Most parents learn about programs and institutions from their friends • Secular friendships will lead to secular choices • Jewish friendships lead to Jewish choices • For those who are not connected to the Jewish community, connections start with Jewish friendships • Connecting Jewish parents with each other should be a high priority

17. Survey Question At this point in your life, are you looking to develop new friendships?

18. Three out of Four Chicago-Area Parents WereLooking to Develop New Friendships n=1,465

19. Families with Younger Children Were Even More Likely to Be Looking For New Friendships

20. Choosing a Jewish Early Childhood Center • Parents learn about preschools from their friends • Peers are an important influence on parents’ preschool decisions. Parents will go where their friends go • For some families, Jewish sponsorship is not a high priority when choosing a preschool – it’s viewed as a nice additional benefit • Schedule, travel time, cost, and qualityare all important considerations • Parents carefully consider whether a particular preschool is the right fit for their child and whether it matches their personal educational philosophy

21. Cost, Location, Fit, and Scheduling Are The Major Reasons Why Parents Who Considered a Jewish Early Childhood Center Did Not End Up Choosing One Parents were instructed: “Choose all that apply.”

22. Part 3: Reaching Families Who Are Not Enrolled In Your Early Childhood Center

23. Overview of Best Principles • Be choosy about who works with families • Know your competition • Design programs with parents in mind • Relationships should be your main focus • Be sensitive to newcomers • Collaborate with community partners • Gain the support of internal stakeholders • Get the word out

24. 1. Be Choosy About Who Works with Families • Appoint a family engagement coordinator to focus on families not enrolled in your Jewish early childhood center • Make sure the person has the right qualities: • Outreach and social media skills • Understands young families • Warm, friendly, welcoming, inclusive • Does not need to be a Jewish educator • Not the early childhood director • Identify experienced program leaders who parents are attracted to

25. 2. Know Your Competition • Lots of local institutions are offering programs for families with young children • Find out which ones are popular and well attended • Businesses that cater to families with young children • Nonprofits such libraries and local parenting organizations • Find out how parents learn about these programs • Find out what the programs cost • Talk with parents at your congregation to learn about where they go

26. 3. Design Programs with Parents in Mind • Parents want quality • Create low barrier, easy access programming so that everyone feels comfortable regardless of their level of Jewish knowledge • Recognize that some parents are self-conscious about their Jewish knowledge – uphold their sense of dignity • Target programs for very specific ages - different types of programs are effective at different stages of a child’s growth • Welcome basket with home visit for parents of newborns • Playgroups for parents of infants • Tot Shabbat, holiday programs, music programs for parents of toddlers

27. Design Programs with Parents in Mind • Build in lots of informal time for socializing… avoid filling up all the time with programming • Offering food is a good way to accomplish this • Offer programs outside the building for those who are not comfortable coming to a Jewish institution

28. 4. Relationships Should Be Your Main Focus • Between parent and child • Between parent and parent • Between parent and Jewish role models • Rabbisand cantors • Jewish educators • Other parents who are living a Jewish life • You don’t just want to provide Jewish experiences, you want to create a community of parents who find a home at your congregation

29. 5. Be Sensitive to Newcomers • Be alert for new families so that they are welcomed and included in a warm, personal fashion • DO NOT pressure families to join or enroll – let them come to you when they are ready • Think of the process as similar to dating… feelings grow stronger over time after a series of positive experiences… it takes awhile to make a commitment

30. 6. Collaborate with Community Partners • Your congregation may or may not be the best fit for a particular family • If you collaborate with other local congregations, parents will be exposed to a broader range of options, and the likelihood that they will find a place that appeals to their Jewish sensibilities will be enhanced • The goal is get parents involved in Jewish life wherever they are most comfortable • Put the needs and interests of parents first, and your congregation will benefit in the long-term Mark I. Rosen ▪ Brandeis University 30

31. 7. Gain the Support of Internal Stakeholders • You will be more likely to succeed if you have support from congregational leadership • Sell the importance of family engagement to clergy, Jewish educators, the president, and the board so that they are all supportive

32. 8. Get the Word Out • Parents won’t come to your programs unless they know about them. • Publicize your programs using the same mechanisms that local parents use to find out about secular programs • Be sure your publicity always mentions that programs are open to all, not just members, and that interfaith families are welcome