Family and Community Involvement

1. Family and Community Involvement Meridian International Center PenMedia Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State

2. Learning Objectives • Parents and families are actively involved in preschool activities and child’s development • Preschool establishes communication, coordination and participation with a variety of relevant community organizations • Children are exposed to different community organizations and centers as part of learning about their community • Preschool staff develop working relationships with a variety of social, cultural, recreational and support services to meet the needs of children in their class(es)

3. Why involve families • Research indicates that children who attend preschool are more likely to succeed if their parents are involved in the child’s learning environment • Children adapt, adjust, and cope better in preschool when their family are involved in attending meetings and sessions at the preschool • Preschools and children are safer when families and communities are involved.

4. Social Networks • There are a number of social networks that are important for enhancing children’s well being and development • The family • The health environment • The preschool • Recreational activities/centers • Community based institutions

5. Interactions • In order to support child well being and development, four parties need to interact on a regular and timely basis: • The Child • Parents – attitudes, skills, and practices • The preschool – expectations, actions, and practices • The community – health workers, municipality, police, parks/recreation centers, charitable organizations, etc.

6. Understanding Parents • What are their attitudes on education and learning • What are their values on child behavior, discipline, and education • What are their expectations regarding the preschool • What kinds of skills do they want their children to have • What kinds of knowledge do they want their children to have • What kinds of behavior do they practice at home with their child

7. Shared Understanding Between Parents and the Preschool • Are parents aware of the preschool principles? • What are teachers’ expectations for the child and parents? • What are the priority concerns of the preschool? • What are preschool expectations regarding parent involvement?

9. School, Parents and Community Involvement • Children provide: • Common ground for all • Motivation • Ideas for cooperation • Vision of the future • Parents provide • Nurturing • Love • Care • Basic needs • Learning opportunities • Social interactions • Encouragement • School provides • Safe environment • Stimulating environment • Social interactions • Learning activities • Developing new skills • Providing new information • Encouragement • Community provides: • Contacts with services • Variety of services • Protection • Information • Places to visit • New people to learn about • Contact with others • Financial and economic support

10. Benefits of Collaboration Between Parents and the Preschool • Two caring parties (parents/families and the preschool) are in harmony on messages • Both support the development of similar skills • Both understand and accept the values of the other • Both share positive attitudes on the child and his/her abilities • Both prioritize the child and his/her needs

11. Indicators of Success of Family, Community and Preschool Collaboration • Students • Increased knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes • Acceptance of responsibility (including attending, following directions and agree upon rules/laws) • Increased self-esteem and confidence • Social and working relationships improve • Preschool evaluation and self-direction/regulation • Physical functions of preschool enhanced • Health, maintenance, and environment of preschool improved • Safe behavior practices applied

12. Indicators (continued) • Increased number of vulnerable and needy children attend preschool on a regular basis • Families & communities improve coordination, exchange of information, and share resources • Preschool offers increased social and emotional support for families • Preschool and community support family access to assistance and support available. • Increased parent and community awareness on importance of early childhood education and development • Increased number of family and /or community activities with the preschool • Increased family/preschool collaboration • Number of parent visits to preschool increases • Number of teacher visits to home increases

13. Why Teachers Should Invest Time in the Community • Provides opportunities to benefit from community resources – human, material, and financial • Increases teacher awareness of what kinds of resources and services are available that can enrich the preschool and the child and his/her family • Increased sense of safety and security for the preschool and children while in school or out of school • Allows for greater diversity of activities within the preschool • Enhances teachers understanding of the world in which children live in and how they can adapt • Allows teachers to understand negative practices that may need to change • Allows teacher to introduce new services and programs into the preschool environment

14. What kinds of services are available in the community?

15. Entry Point for Parent-Preschool Interactions • During registration period (while school is still in session) • Encourage parent visits to the preschool with the child • Introduction to teachers and key staff • Introduction to environment and resources available • Introduction to preschool learning curriculum • Sharing teacher’s expectations of the child and parents • Arranging means of contact between parents and teachers • Setting up informal meetings to provide parents with opportunity to meet with other parents • Setting up meetings with parents of children in preschool to share views

16. Ways to Help the Child Get Comfortable within the Preschool • Before preschool begins • Parents should bring child to visit preschool • Observe other children at play • Allow child to spend some time interacting with other children (opportunity to see positive interactions) • Allow child to ask teacher and parent about the preschool • Allow teacher to get to know the child and the child to become familiar with the teacher

17. Establishing Rapport with Parents • Ask parents about their child • Is this their first child or have other children gone to preschool before? • Do they have other members of the family living with them (extended family support)? • Have they received information on early childhood development? • Are they interested in learning more about child development and innovative ways of helping children to learn? • Will they have time to spend at the preschool: • Participating on a regular basis • Assisting in the classroom • Meetings

18. Child-Parent-Preschool (continued) • Allows parents and child to share personal information with the teacher on the child • Allows child to ask questions and raise concerns about going to preschool • Teacher should give parents a small briefing on what to expect on the first day of school • Child adjustment • Expected agenda • How to prepare the child for preschool • What the child needs to bring to preschool • What the parent expects • How to cope with any issues that may arise

19. Parent-Preschool InteractionsDay 1 • Start of school year • Send out invitations to parents to attend preschool for the first day (a few hours) • Have an agenda set of what activities you will be doing on the first day (making their own “name tags”, finding a place to sit, visiting all the rooms of the preschool, outdoor play games, safety measures, etc.) • Have special activities that the parents can be doing with the child • Introducing children to one another • Playing games with the children • Helping children to make their name tags • Making a little clock to show when the parents will return

20. Child-Parent-Preschool ActionsDay 1 • Brief the child on what he/she is likely to see at the preschool • Remind them of their earlier visit to the preschool • What did they like most • Who do they expect to see at the preschool • What kinds of games and fun things do they remember they could do • Remind them of their teacher – use her name • Address any questions the child may have with honesty • Where will the parent be when the child is at preschool • Who will pick them up • Why do they have to go to preschool • How long will they be at the preschool • Will the teacher call the parent if the child wants to speak to her

21. Suggested Parenting Group Sessions • Stages of early childhood development • Parenting skills • Preschool Educational and Learning Curriculum • Parental communication • Child discipline • Children with special needs • Social development of children • Community involvement • Healthy lifestyles • Open sessions –to be agreed upon

22. Routine Parent Meetings and Activities • Set up 2 hours per month were parents can drop in for a cup of coffee and talk to teachers • School should be ready to have a teacher/assistant on duty to watch over children as the other teachers meet with parents • Structure the meeting as a whole group meeting to allow parents to share their issues or concerns with one another • If a parent wants a private consultation arrange that time separately

23. Routine Parent Meetings and Activities • Set up sign up sheet for parents who want to participate in daily activities within the preschool • Encourage parents to attend and assist in carrying out activities within the classroom • Find out what special skills or talents a parent may have – storytelling, singing, making things, cooking, drawing, playing an instrument, etc. and encourage them to share their knowledge in the classroom • Find out what kind of work parents do – take the children to visit them at their workplace • Fire station, police station, park worker, doctor, carpenter, university • Have parents come to school and do show and tell about their jobs

24. Community Involvement by Preschool Staff • Principal of school can initiate list of various community organizations, centers, and services that relate to health, protection, education, recreation, safety, economic and poverty assistance, etc. • Make visits to different centers to see what they know about the preschool, kinds of programs they are currently doing with children and families • Introduce new ideas and suggestions on preschool – agency cooperation and coordination (formal and/or informal agreements can be drawn up) • Identify key focal person within the agency who can be the contact person for later meetings and visits • Invite members of various agencies to visit the preschool • Provide them with information on the preschools objectives and which children are attending and those who are not attending • Identify kinds of support the agency can provide for the preschool and/or family • Identify key problems/strengths of children, families, community

25. Types of Community-Based Programs • Health (physical and mental) • Education (child, siblings, and parents) • Social services (protection, security) • Job and employment opportunities • Recreation (youth, parks, sports center) • Neighborhood/community improvement

26. Issues to Consider When Linking with Community Organizations • Can the various community programs and services • Come to the preschool to provide services and programs • Can the children visit the community centers • Does the community center currently have working relationships with families • Non existent – no contact • Information dissemination • Cooperating – provide assistance if requested • Coordinating – provide direct services and programs for child and family • Integrated – provide services and programs in home and/or preschool • Which kinds of support can be further developed? • promoting healthy development of the child • Support the prevention of problems – financial, protection, health • Encourage early intervention support for families in need – mental, economic, violence, problems

27. Other Types of Community Services • Police and Fire Station • Library • Municipal agencies and bodies (e.g., parks and recreation, library, police, fire, • courts, civic event units) • Family crisis and support centers, helplines, hotlines – psychosocial networks • shelters, mediation and dispute resolution centers, private practitioners) • Other child care/preschool centers • Visits to universities and colleges • Religious centers • Museums

28. Expanding Circles of Collaboration • Preschool becomes a hub for bringing the family and community together to support the child’s development, education, and safety • Preschool becomes an educational site for family and community to increase their knowledge, skills, and contributions to child well being and development • Preschool has increased access to a variety of different resources that can ensure the long term development and sustainability of the program