Utah Systems Conference 2019

This session will begin by defining family engagement and explaining the difference between family involvement and engagement. We will then discuss the principles of effective family engagement as defined by ESSA and NAEYC. We will discuss engaging families from various socio-economic backgrounds. We will share the lessons that we have learned from incorporating family engagement into our preschool program over the past 7 years. We will explore the various family engagement opportunities that our program has found successful; namely initial contact, home visits, assessments/conferences, open house, family engagement nights, social media, take-home library books. parent advisory councils, parent evaluations, newsletters, and incorporating technology. Participants will leave with a plan to implement effective family engagement opportunities into their program.