Family Involvement

We have a family involvement part of our program, but participation is sporadic. How can we get more and consistent participation from parents and other family members?

Many programs face this challenge. The real question seems to be, "Why don't more families participate?" And that, our panel agrees, is not a simple question. What is the overall role of families in your program? Are parents seen as valuable partners? Do they participate as planners, advisors, or presenters?

All families have multiple demands on their time and resources. The question for them might be, "How can I possibly participate when I have to work, look after the kids, fix dinner, pay bills ..." Jeri suggests asking parents "the best way to achieve greater participation. For instance, requesting information on the best day or time of a family night." Parents are more likely to be involved if they help shape the program.

"It's more than just reading and writing; any activity you do, or place you go, that builds on prior knowledge and helps children make better sense of the world counts!"

Assess parents' needs and experience—in terms of both language and culture. Renee suggests incorporating language instruction into a family night for parents learning English. Volunteers could also design activities to develop parents' skills in computer literacy or job interviewing. Some parents may lack positive experiences with schools, and some may think their involvement will be viewed as interference rather than enhancement.

Offering childcare or classes is an incentive that addresses families' limited time and resources. "Incentives ... differ for age levels and communities. I suggest being creative," says Jeri. Incentives sometimes give families an initial reason to attend family night. After they're in the door, they need reasons to continue participating—a welcoming and safe atmosphere, a voice in the program, and a clear sense of the benefits to their family will go a long way toward sustaining involvement. Building trust between parents and your program takes time, and it's important to convey that to tutors.

(Editors: Programs also send children home with collaborative projects for the family, schedule parent activities to coincide with other family activities at the school, or create regular celebrations with food.)